RAWLEIGH Redivivus OR THE Life Death OF THE Right Honourable ANTHONY Late EARL of SHAFTSBURY Humbly Dedicated to the Protesting Lords By Philanax Misopappas Virtuti Pompeij quae potest Par Oratio inveniri Cicero LONDON Printed for Thomas Malthus at the Sun in the Poultrey 1683. TO THE Most Illustrious and High-born Prince James Duke of Monmouth And to the Right Honourable Anthony Earl of Kent Theophilus Earl of Huntington William Earl of Bedford James Earl of Salisbury Gilbert Earl of Clare Thomas Earl of Stamford Robert Earl of Sunderland Arthur Earl of Essex Charles Earl of Macklesfield Charles Viscount Mordant Philip Lord Wharton William Lord Pagett Ford Lord Grey of Wark John Lord Lovelace Henry Lord Herbert of Cherbury Charles Lord Cornwallis Thomas Lord Crew Who enter'd their Protestation against the Lords rejecting the Impeachment of Edward Fitz-Harris and generously asserted the Commons Right to Impeach any Subject whatsoever Great Sirs THe following Tract humbly offered to your Lordships and for which the Author implores your Patronage is a brief but yet true and impartial History of the Life and Policies the Rise and Fortunes Troubles and Exit of the late Earl of Shaftsbury whose great Actions constant Loyalty and successful Councils certainly are worthy the transmitting to Posterity for whose sake as well as the vindicating his Name and Honour from the bold and confident although ridiculous and groundless Calumnies wherewith the Roman Achitophels have maliciously aspersed him I have endeavour'd to Decipher him and draw his Image according to the best of my skill although infinitely below his Deserts which justly merit the being pourtray'd by a more skilful hand and one whose extraordinary acquirements and admirable proficiency in Politicks renders capable of representing his Lordships wonderful Parts and Abilities in the most apt and lively Touches Especially in regard the malice of 〈…〉 hath somewhat 〈◊〉 his best Feature and unâ—â—â—fully sullyed the most Beautiful and Loyalest of his Actions My Lds. It was the extraordinary Endowments wherewith this Earl was inrich'd that drew upon him so much Envy and swell'd his Adversaries to such an heighth of Malice and Fury fearing lest he might prove their Rival and acquire a greater Interest in the Favour of his Soveraign then they were willing he should Or else it was his imitation of the magnanimous Roman who being Commanded by the Emperor to forbear coming to the Senate and threaten'd with Imprisonment if he presumed to appear in that Assembly boldly answer'd You may do as you will but I must do as I ought Nor had ever any Man larger Experience then his Lordship of the truth and reality of what the famous Sir Walter Raleigh so long since wisely observed That he who follows Truth too near at the Heels may have his Teeth struch out thereby and that he who goes after her oft loseth her sight and himself too Most Noble Patriots I acknowledge that it is no small persecution of your Illustrious Greatness to be thus troubled with the impertinent Address of one so much below you And am very sensible that the Generosity and good Nature of persons who like your selves shine with Glory and Splendor in a superiour Orb frequently draw upon them unnecessary and needless Dedications And therefore I should not have been guilty of presuming to six your Honourable Names to any trifle of mine had not the nature of the thing laid a kind of necessity upon me and furnished me with an unanswerable Argument and sufficient Apology for so doing May it please your Lordships You are all under the same Circumstances and you have like him adventur'd to stem the Stream and dared to be Virtuous when to be wicked and debauch'd is in Fashion And have presumed to be Loyal under the disadvantage of exposing your selves thereby to the malice and rage of a sort of Men who with an Hellish Industry have long endeavour'd to Metamorphise your very Virtues into Vices and Transubstantiate your Loyalty into a Crime You have with a firm resolution and undaunted courage opposed in the very face of danger the ambitious and growing designs of a bloody and malicious Crew who have Burned our City Assassinated our Magistrates Forged Shame Blots and invented Meal-Tub Conspiracies to ruine our Nobility and Gentry And if Divine Goodness had not protected us and disappointed them would have murther'd our Soveraign Massacred our Persons Extirpated our Religion Plunder'd our Houses seized our Estates trampled upon our Laws inslaved our Wives and Children and subjected our Posterity to a Bondage infinitely worse then that of Egypt And whatsoever is Sacred and Dear to us as English Men or Christians must have been sacrific'd to their Revenge for the satiating whereof and to give vent to their fury they would have turn'd the Paradise of the World into an Acheldama And moreover my Lords his Enemies are your Enemies his Reproaches are all directed at and centre in You. You were all to be involved in the same Guilt and made Parties in the same pretended Conspiracy And You were by an imaginary Power derived from that Infallible Fop the Pope all condemned to the same Fate in the secret Consults and private Cabals of Rome as appears by the Scheme found in the Meal-Tub and afterwards more fully discovered by Mr. Dangerfield Nor is it unworthy Your consideration that the time when that cursed Conspiracy was hatching and some Circumstances in the management thereof renders it not altogether improbable that it derived its Original from and was ingaged in upon the success of a certain Story upon the account whereof the greatest of You stands at this day strip'd of all Your Honorary Places But that which further encourag'd me to make this Address to Your Lordships was Your being his intimate Acquaintance and constant Companions his familiar Friends and only Associates with whom he maintained an exact Correspondence and almost daily conversed withal whereby You must necessarily be better acquainted with and have a clearer prospect of the Principles and Temper Designs and Inclinations of his Lordship than any of his detractors can possibly pretend to since many of them never had any personal knowledge of and much less intimate Acquaintance with him and most of them never saw him in their Lives Nor have many of his Accusers notwithstanding their formal and confident charging him with Treason ever born a Part or made a Figure large enough in the World to procure them admittance to his Person or imbolden them to appear in his presence or so much as exchange two words with him in their whole Lives You know his Loyal Behaviour towards and constant cleaving to the Interest of his Soveraign and are surviving Testimonies of the extraordinary Reverence and profound Veneration wherewith he always made mention of His Majesty whensoever you had occasion to speak of him in Your publick or private Discourses nor can You have forgotten his frequent lamenting his own unhappiness in being so strangely mis-represented
find him amongst the Creatures of his Cabinet Council nor amongst the Eleven Major Generals to whom the Care of the Nation was committed No their Principles their Aims and Designs were incompatible one was for Subverting the other for Maintaining the Antient standing Fundamentals of the Nation which once dissolved it was impossible but an Universal Deluge of Confusion Blood and Rapine must ensue This made our brave Patriot with divers of the Heroick English Race to the utmost oppose the growth of a Protectorian Tyranny And when the Rump had again usurped the Power into their hands they endeavoured to oblige him by nominating him to be one of their Council of State and one of the Commissioners for the managing their Army Notwithstanding which he continued his Intelligence with and Endeavours for the Restoration of his Soveraign So that we find him accused before them for keeping Intelligence with the King and for having raised Men to joyn with Sir George Booth in attempting to restore and bring His Majesty that now is to his Rightful Throne Many persons of great note were imprisoned on the account of this Plot and amongst the rest Sir Anthony Ashly Cooper who was really guilty if there could be any Guilt in Loyalty and an honest endeavour to free his Country from those deplorable miseries under which it then groaned for indeed he was a principal contriver of the Business being one of the secret Cabal and had always kept Intelligence with Sir George and had raised a party in Dorset-shire to joyn with him which upon the miscarrying of the Design timely dispersed themselves And although no man knew better then he how to obviate the Reasons of the House and plead his own Cause yet he was not without great difficulty cleared and discharged of that Imputation by the Rump who shortly after intrusted him with the Custody of the Tower of London the Command of a Regiment of Horse and gave him with six others to assist him the Government and Command of their Army So that now he began to advance the great work of Restoring his Majesty with more success and speed than before To which end he and Eight more who had been of the Old Council of State sent a Letter to General Monke to proceed in his generous Undertakings for the advantage and settlement of the three Nations and perswaded him to come to London in order to the better prosecuting what he had so well begun Whereupon the General having disposed and ordered all things according to his desire advanced towards England accompanied with several English Gentlemen who held correspondence with him and being acquainted with the Generals Designs went thither on purpose to accompany him hither where he was no sooner arrived but he was highly Honoured and Complemented by the Rump and made one of the Council who was to order and dispose of publick Affairs but to qualifie them for this Trust they were to have an Oath imposed upon them wherein they were to abjure the Royal Family But that being directly contrary to the generous Designs of those two Noble Patriots of the Royal Cause and bold Adventurers for the Interest of their injured Soveraign the one by his Head to contrive and the other by his Arms to execute what was contrived as well as assist in Counselling and Advising They opposed it as unreasonable and a Snare to their Consciences and by their influence upon Colonel Morly procured it to be so warmly opposed that both Oath and Council fell and came to nothing Doctor Clarges having happily discovered that Lambert and others were making parties and drawing Forces together to oppose their Loyal Designs repaired immediately to Sir Anthony accounting him the fittest person to be acquainted with a business of that nature being not only firm to the Kings Interest but by his Wisdom and Policy knew how to undermine those who were averse to it wherefore having related the particulars to him desiring him to communicate it to the Council and prevail with them to take speedy care about it lest if neglected it should prove of dangerous consequence Which he did accordingly and so managed the Council that timely care was taken in it and even that attempt of Lamberts which in it self threatened the contrary was by his Skill dexterously managed for the advantage of his Majesties Interest and the hastening his happy Restoration General Monke having forced the Parliament to admit the secluded Members they were no sooner seated in the House but they fell to such kind of work as plainly discovered to all intelligent Men what would be the Issue of those things which were then transacted for they ordered the Release of all those who were Imprisoned for Petitioning for a Free Parliament together with the Members of the Common-Council of London They inlarged the Generals Commission constituting him one of the Generals at Sea Discharged Sir George Booth and others committed upon the account of his Rising and ordered the Examination of him and his Lady to be taken off the File and given to them Then having appointed a free Parliament to meet in the April following they Dissolved themselves appointing a Council of State to govern in the mean while consisting for the most part of Loyal Gentlemen whose Names were as follows Arthur Ansley Lord President William Pierpoynt John Crew Richard Knightly Colonel Popham Colonel Morley Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper Sir Gilbert Gerard Lord St. John Sir Thomas Widdrington Sir John Evelin Sir William Waller Sir Richard Onslow Serjeant Maynard Sir William Lewis Colonel Montague Colonel Hanly Colonel Norton Denzill Hollis Sir John Temple Colonel Tompson Sir John Trever Sir John Holland Sir John Poltis Colonel Birch Sir Harbottle Grimston John Swinton John Weaver Colonel Rossiter Lord Fairfax Lord General Monke This Council was so influenc'd by the two great Contrivers and Managers of the happy change that everything done by them tended to the furthering thereof And April 25. 1660. the new Parliament met in both Houses which was the most considerable step they had yet made towards the accomplishing their great End and gave an entrance to and made way for the perfecting the whole Contrivance For His Majesty immediately hereupon dispatcht away Sir John Greenvil who was afterwards created Earl of Bath with Letters to both Houses of Parliament and General Monke which were delivered to them upon the first day of May being but the seventh day after the opening of the Parliament together with his Majesties gracious Declaration to all his Loving Subjects Wherein he expresses abundance of compassion and tenderness to the Nation which had been so long harrass'd by an unnatural War These Letters and the Declaration were received by the Parliament with a Joy and Veneration so extraordinary that I find my self at a loss for words wherewith to express it And their pleasure and satisfaction was such that in an extasie of Joy they suddenly drew the Curtain and exposed the Beautiful and Glorious Scene to the
cannot long continue in the English hands if some better care be not taken of it This is in your Power and there is not bing there but is under your Laws Therefore I beg that this Kingdom at least may be taken into consideration together with the State of England for I am sure there can be no safety here if these Doors are not shut up and made sure But His Majesty had another kind of esteem for his Lordship for not long after the making of this Speech having Dissolv'd His Privy Council and chosen a new one he was pleased to constitute the Earl President thereof a Place so considerable for Honour and Trust that it hath not been enjoyed by any Subject for many years and was improv'd by him as much to the advantage of His Majesty and the Protestant Interest as possible And when the Bill for excluding the Duke of York had passed the House of Commons as the only expedient they could find out to suppress the Designs of the Papists and prevent their ever introducing the Popish Religion into England they sent it up to the House of Lords where his Lordship was one of those Honourable Lords who Voted for its passing that House in order to its being offered to His Majesty for His Royal Assent The Grand Jury returned for the Hundred of Osalstone in the County of Middlesex in June the 2d 1680. finding the Constables defective in not presenting the Papists as they ought it was ordered they should make further presentments by the 16th of that Instant upon which day they met again to receive them when likewise a Bill against D. Y. for not coming to Church was brought before them together with the following Reasons for his being indicted subscribed by the persons undernam'd First Because the 25th Car. 2d when an Act was made to throw Popish Recusants out of all Offices and Places of Trust the Duke did then lay down several great Offices and Places as Lord High Admiral of England Generalissimo of all His Majesties Forces both by Land and Sea Governour of the Cinque Ports and divers others thereby to avoid the punishmant of that Law against Papists Secondly 30. Car. 2d when an Act was made to disable Papists to sit in either House of Parliament there was a Proviso incerted in that Act That it should not extend to D. Y. on purpose to save his right of sitting in the Lords House though he refused to take those Oaths which the Protestant Peers ought to do Thirdly That His Majesty in His Speech March 6th the 31st year of his Reign doth give for a Reason to the Parliament why he sent His Brother out of England Viz. Because he would leave no Man Room to say that he had not remov'd all Causes which might influence him to Popish Councils Fourthly That there hath been divers Letters read in both Houses of Parliament and at the secret Committee of both Houses from several Cardinals and others at Rome and also from other Popish Bishops and Agents of the Pope in other Forreign Parts which do apparently shew the great Correspondencies between him and the Pope and how the Pope could not choose but weep for joy at the reading of some of his Letters and what great satisfaction it was to the Pope to hear that he was advanced to the Catholick Religion as likewise that the Pope hath granted him Briefs sent him Beads and ample Indulgencies with much more to this purpose Fifthly The whole House of Commons hath Declared him to be a Papist in their Votes Sunday April 6th 1679. wherein they resolv'd nemine contradicente that the Duke of York's being a Papist and his hopes of coming such to the Crown had given the greatest countenance and encouragement to the present Conspiracy and Designs of the Papists against the King and the Protestant Religion Sixthly That besides all this Proof and much more to this purpose it is most notorious and evident he hath for many years absented from Protestant Churches during Religious Worship These are the Reasons why we believe him to be a Papist this was subscribed and delivered by his Lordship together with the Earl of Huntington and the Lords Grey of Wark Russel Cavendish Brandon and Wharton as also by Sir William Cowper Barronet Sir Gilbert Gerrard Barronet Sir Edward Hungerford Knight of the Bath Sir Scroop How Thomas Thinn Esq William Forrester Esq and John Trenchard Esq But whilst the Jury were in debate of the Matter they were sent for up by the Court of Kings-Bench and dismist so that nothing was done upon it more than the Juries having receieved the presentment Wherefore on Wednesday July the Thirtieth the former Lords Knights and Gentlemen with the addition of the Lord Clare Sir John Cope Barronet Sir Rowland Gwynne and Mr. Wandsford presented the same to a second Grand Jury who were discharged as the former But whilst his Lordship was thus vigorously prosecuting the Popish Plot in the face of danger the Papists were as vigilent in contriving his ruine though with somewhat more secrecy and silence resolving to seize the Prey before they gave the least Alarm or Notice of their intention as appear'd by their close Caballistical Designs carryed on against this Earl and all the rest of the Protestant Nobility and Gentry in England wherein Mr. Dangerfield was a considerable Agent having been for that purpose fetcht out of Newgate by the Papists who hoping to reap a vast advantage by having him to manage their Affairs willingly disburst a large sum to discharge his Debts The first sangunary work they imployed him in was to attempt the Murther of his Lordship promising him 500 pounds for so acceptable a service as they apprehended it to be he inquired the Reason why they thirsted after his Life and how there might be any probable way proposed whereby it might be accomplished to which it was answered That as to the first they should be glad to have him out of the way because if they were rid of him as they were of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey it would be no difficult thing to bear down all the rest of their Opposers As to the second They affirmed it to be as easie as desirable since said the Lord P s my Man Wood was at Thannet House two nights since upon pretence of an Errand but his business was to view the House and observe what conveniences there were to make his escape after the fact was done assuring him that Wood found the thing so feasable that after he came back he declar'd himself sorry that he was not provided to have done it then And to encourage him to undertake this sanguinary enterprise with the more chearfulness he gave him Ten Guinneys in hand as an assurance that the full reward should be paid so soon as the fatal stroak should be given Promising moreover that Mr. Regaut a Virginia Merchant of Mrs. Celliers acquaintance should come to him on Sunday following to instruct him in
his Majesties Interest asking them If those unhappy differences that were arisen between the King and his Parliament could not be composed but should break out into a War who they would stand by his Majesty or the Parliament Whereupon they all cried out with one consent By the King We will stand by the King against all Opposers whatsoever Gentlemen said the Colonel I thank you for this Declaration which you have now made of your Loyal Intentions I hope your Hearts have gone with your Words therein and that you will make good your Promises when his Majesties Occasions shall require it Whereupon they were dismist and sent home In October 1645. he was chosen Sheriff of Norfolk which choice was November the first approved of and confirmed by the Parliament And the next year 1646. he was chosen Sheriff of the County of Wilts discharging the Offices both years with abundance of Candour and Generosity And in the year 1651. the Parliament out of a deep sense of his profound Wisdom appointed him January 20. with twenty persons more to sit as a Committee to consider of the inconveniencies which were in the Law and the Mischiefs which frequently arise from the Delays and other Irregularities in the Administration thereof and ordered them to report their Opinion therein to the House Not long after this the Scene of Affairs alter'd and Cromwell's Ambitious Designs for Usurping the Supream Power being now ripe he resolved to put them into execution and as the first Essay took upon him to Dissolve that remnant of a Parliament To which purpose on the 20th of April 1653. he entred the House attended by some of his principal Officers and delivered several Reasons why they ought to be Dissolved and a period put to their Sitting which was immediately done The Speaker with all the rest of the Members some through fear and others by force presently departed the House all the Nation rejoycing thereat and scarce any man grieved for their Dissolution but themselves every one affirmed that although probably the Nation could not be much better'd by this change yet worse could not possibly befall it However Cromwell did not think it time as yet to take the Government absolutely into his own hands wherefore he summoned another Convention somewhat like the former to which he gave the name of a Parliament Whereupon Sir A. being looked upon by his Country-men as the fittest person to oppose and baffle any extravagant motions or designs that should be proposed to or carried on by them was returned to serve therein for his Native County of Wilts This Convention had several strange things under debate that would have been very dangerous and prejudicial to the Nation and he acted the part of a Wise Politician and a true English Man in rendring their Debates ineffectual and to no purpose as well by his ingenious Arguments drawn from Scripture and Reason as the Interest he had in the Gentlemen of the Country whereby he engaged them to appear also against the Designs which were then carrying on Whereat the contrary Faction being strangely exasperated stormed exceedingly and pushed forward their Designs with the greater fury Whereupon the rest although the Majority fearing to be undermin'd by their laying hold of an opportunity to Assemble themselves in their absence any Forty being a Quorum and thereby accomplish their Designs resolved to Dissolve themselves which they did accordingly and so by that means quash'd those mischievous Designs upon which they were Brooding However Cromwell resolved that whoever lost he would be no loser by this Dissolution wherefore he by a strange way of Reasoning pretended that by this means the whole Supream Power and Authority of the three Nations both Civil and Military was of course devolved into his hands and thereupon called a Council of Officers to consult about setling the Government who after several Debates resolved to have a Commonwealth in a single Person which Person should be Oliver Cromwell by the name of Lord Protector c. Whereupon Cromwell calls a Parliament which met September 3. 1654. whereof Sir A. was chosen a Member the Country supposing him to be the fittest Man they could choose to obviate and undermine Cromwells Tyrannical Designs Cromwell makes a Politick smooth Speech to them endeavouring to perswade them to embrace his Interest promising for their encouragement to do strange things for the good of the Nation if they would but afford him their Assistance in order thereunto But although some of the Members were Men for his turn and were resolved to serve him in his ambitious Designs to the uttermost of their power although themselves and their Posterity suffered for it yet Sir Anthony and abundance of others were too Wise to be imposed upon and too couragious to be hector'd into a compliance So that being the Majority they over-number'd those who were for complying with the Usurpers Interest and render'd his hopes in that Parliament vain and ineffectual Whereat the Tyrant being inraged to see his expectations so frustrated Dissolved them lest if he had suffered them to sit any longer they might have overthrown his new acquired Usurpations But the Protector being extreamly necessitated for Money and having a longing desire to have his Power confirmed to him by the consent of the People hoping that a second Representative would grant him that which the first refused Issues out his Writs for the Election of another Parliament Yet remembring the Speeches and Carriage of Sir Anthony and some other Members of the late Parliament he gave secret directions to the Sheriffs of the several Counties to use their utmost endeavour to prevent if possible their being chosen or returned to serve in that Parliament However the Countries striving to please themselves rather then the Protector and preferring their own Interest before Cromwells Returned Sir Anthony and most of the other Members that opposed the Protectors Designs in the late Parliament to serve in this whereby this Stratagem failed of producing its desired effects which forced him to take new Measures and invent the following Shifts viz. That every Member before he was to sit in the House was imposed upon solemnly to engage himself by promise not to act any thing prejudicial to the present Government But fearing lest this device should not keep out enough to make the Parliament pliable and fit for his purpose he gave special directions not to admit of any into the House but those only that produced a Certificate or Warrant in the following form Com' Bucks These are to certifie that W.E. c. is returned to serve in this present Parliament for the said County and approved of by his Highnesses Council Sept. 17. 1656. Nath. Taylor Clerk of the Commonwealth in Chancery September 17. 1656. being the day appointed for the Meeting of this Parliament he went to the Parliament House at Westminster expecting to Sit there as a Member of that Parliament But found Entrance not only denied to himself but
by no other Rule or Law than his pleasure as if he were their Absolute Lord and had bought all the People of England for his Slaves Doubtless he would pretend only to have Conquered England at his own Expence and were there as much Truth as there is Falshood in that pretence yet he could not but know that the Right of the Peoples Deputies to their Antient Powers and Priviledges would remain good against him as against their publick capital Enemy Whom every man ought to destroy until by some agreement with the Body of the People in Parliament some sort of governing Power in him were submitted unto that hereby he might cease to be a publick Enemy and Destroyer and become a King or Governour according to the conditions accepted by the People and if he would so pretend he could not be so discharged from his publick Enmity by any Condition or Agreement made with a part of the Peoples chosen Deputies whilst he shut out the other part for no part of the Representatives Body are trusted to consent to any thing in the Nations behalf if the whole have not their free Liberty of Debating and Voting in the Matters propounded If he would pretend no higher than to be our Conquerour who for Peace and his own safeties sake was content to cease from being a publick Enemy and to be admitted a Governour he would not compass those ends by forcibly excluding as now he does whom he pleases of the Representative Body of People who were to submit to him on the Peoples behalf therefore he either takes upon him to be such a Conqueror as scorris the Peoples acceptance of him by their Representative as their Governour and fears not to remain a publick Enemy or else he takes himself to be such an unheard of Soveraign that against him the People have no claim of Property or Right in themselves or any thing else for he hath now declared that the Peoples choice cannot give any man a Right to sit in Parliament but the Right must be derived from his gracious Will and Pleasure with that of his Councellors and his Clerks Ticket only must be their evidence for it Thus hath he exalted himself to a Throne like unto God's as if he were of himself and his power from himself and we were all made for him to be commanded and disposed of by him to work for him and serve his Pleasure and Ambition A little after there is an Instance of Chief-Justice Tresilian who was executed at Tyburn in the time of Richard the Second for advising the King that he might at any time dissolve the Parliament and command the Members to depart under the penalty of Treason Divers other Protestations were contained in that Instrument against the Arbitrariness and Tyranny of that proceeding and in conclusion they declare they will pour out their complaints before the Lord against their powerful Oppressors hoping he will redeem his People out of the hands of wicked and deceitful Men. This Protestation was Signed by One hundred and seventeen persons whereof Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper was chief and many others of great Loyalty and Integrity some whereof are since dead but many yet survive and as a reward of their Loyalty enjoy Places of Honour and Profit under his present Majesty By this we may easily discern the Opinion he had of the Illegal and Arbitrary proceedings of Cromwell and how much of the sufferings of the Loyal Party would have been prevented had that point of a free Parliament been then gained and consequently His Majesties Restauration must have happened sooner than it did This Remonstrance had not power enough however to work their present admission into the House so that that part of a Parliament which was suffered to sit did every thing to the desire of Cromwell answering both those ends for which they were Convened viz. the raising Money and confirming his Title which was no sooner done but he Prorogued them until he had occasion to Fleece them again which interval was laid hold on by this true English Gentleman as a fit opportunity to engage them when they met again to do themselves and the Nation Justice by admitting him and the rest of the Members that were kept out by the Protector to take their place in Parliament and so managed some of the Members who were moderate men that they resolved not to be so basely trampled on by the Tyrant any longer The Prorogation being expired the Parliament make their appearance at Westminster where the Protector makes a fair Speech to them promising them strange things if they would go on and prosecute his Designs But notwithstanding this Speech the Commons were no sooner retired to their House than Cromwell discovered to his no small perplexity that the Face of his beloved Parliament from whose tractableness and compliance he had promised himself the greatest happiness imaginable was strangely altered For they presently fell to Voting That no Member legally Chosen and Returned could be excluded from performing their Duty but by consent of Parliament and thereupon immediately proceeded to the calling over their House and admitted Sir Anthony and the rest who had subscribed the Remonstrance to the no good liking of the Protector who were no sooner in and the House full but they so influenced the rest that they soon became the majority and began to undo what the others had done in their absence and presumed so far as to question the Tyrants Power Wherefore finding them so bold he concluded it would not be convenient to let a business of so high a nature run too far lest it should if neglected put a period to all his ambitious Designs Wherefore going to his Pageant House of Lords he sent for them and after having made a large Speech to them in the conclusion told them That it did concern his Interest as well as the publick Peace and Tranquility of the Nation to terminate that Parliament and therefore he did then dissolve them and put an end to their Sitting The constant correspondence he alwaies maintained with the Royal Party and that almost to the hazard of his Life and Family are sufficient Testimonies of his sincerity to his Masters Interest and Service his House was a Sanctuary for distressed Royalists and his correspondence with the Kings Friends though closely managed as the necessities of those times required are not unknown to those that were the principal managers of his Majesties Affairs at that time This made Cromwell so apprehensive of this great Assertor of his Countries Rights and Opposer of Arbitrary Government and Enthusiasm that though his vast Abilities were known at least to equal the ablest Pilot of the State which was the only motive that induced the Usurper in the infancy of his Usurpation to nominate him for one of his Council in hope thereby to allure him to his Interest and wheadle and Wire-draw him into a compliance with his ambitious and mischievous designs yet we cannot
delightful view of the languishing Spectators wherein they plainly law the happy Issue of those Policies and Councils that were before Riddles too mysterious for vulgar understandings to unfold or once imagine whither they tended or where they would terminate by the following Resolves of both Houses Resolved by the House of Peers That they do own and declare That according to the Ancient and Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom the Government is and ought to be by King Lords and Commons Resolved That a Committee of Eight Lords do joyn with a Committee of the House of Commons to consider of an Answer to His Majesties gracious Letter and Declaration Resolved by the House of Commons That a Committee be appointed to prepare an Answer to His Majesties Letter expressing the Great and Joyfid sense of this House for his Gracious Offers and their humble and hearty Thanks to His Majesty for the same and with professions of their Loyalty and Duty to His Majesty And that this House will give a speedy Answer to His Majesties Gracious Proposals Resolved That the sum of 50000 1. be Presented His Majesty from this House The receiving those Letters and the Parliaments compliance therewith was no sooner reported to the City but the Citizens were almost overwhelmed with Joy the harmony of the Bells and the flaming Piles which inlightened every Street surrounded with incredible Shouts and Acclamations of Joy were sufficient demonstrations of the infinite pleasure and satisfaction they took in this no less wonderful then happy Revolution and the several Counties taking the Alarm from London contended which should out-vie each other in expressions of Loyalty and Joy Then the Parliament proceeded to draw up a Letter in Answer to His Majesties subscribing it to the Kings most Excellent Majesty desiring him speedily to return to the Exercises of his Kingly Office appointing Commissioners to go over to Holland and attend His Majesty during the remainder of his stay there and in his return to England Of these Commissioners there were six for the House of Lords for the House of Commons Twelve whereof our great Patriot was one and Twenty for the City of London Instructions being delivered to the Commissioners they set Sail for Holland in several Frigats appointed by the Parliament to attend them and after some danger by bad Weather they Landed at the Hague whither His Majesty was then removed from Breda where he had resided some time before as being a place nearer and more convenient for his Shipping the disposal whereof and of the whole Fleet was remitted to His Majesties pleasure General Montague having received Orders from the Parliament to Obey His Majesties Orders and Directions therein The Commissioners were no sooner arrived but they went and waited on His Majesty and with all imaginable Respect and Veneration delivered their respective Messages and behaved themselves according to the Instructions they received from their Principals beseeching His Majesty in the name of his Parliament and People to return and re-assume the Scepter assuring him That he should be infinitely welcome without any terms They were received by his Majesty with a Port and Grace like himself and entertain'd with extraordinary Favour and Magnificence In the mean time the Parliament Proclaim'd the King which was perform'd with all the Joy Splendour and Magnificence that Love or Loyalty could inspire The chief Lords of the House of Peers and the most eminent of the House of Commons the Lord General together with the Lord Mayor and Aldermen all in their Coaches attended by the whole Militia of the City waited upon and assisted in the Ceremony and the Shouts and Acclamations of the crouding Multitudes was so extraordinary that although all the Bells throughout the City and Suburbs were at that time Ringing yet their noise was not to be heard The King preparing for his Return was magnisicently Treated by the Dutch and highly Complimented by all the Forraign Ambassadours And the Dutch knowing that they should thereby very much please the King enlarg'd their Civilities to our great Patriot and the rest of the Commissioners from the Parliament and City treating them by their Deputies to their great content and satisfaction Whilst this great Adventurer for the Royal Cause continued in Holland one day as he was doing his Duty in waiting on his Soveraign had the unhappiness to be overthrown in a Carravan whereby he received an unfortunate Wound in his side between the Ribs which in time came to an Exulceration and was in the year 1672. when he was Lord Chancellour forc'd to be opened The Operation was performed by Mr. Knolls the Chyrurgeon by the Advice and Direction of the famous Doctor Willis and supposed to be the greatest Cure that ever was done upon the Body of Man From whence we may learn the hard Fate which sometimes attend the most commendable Actions since this which was the greatest mark and ensign of Loyalty should be made the matter of the greatest Obloquy and Reproach most of those malicious Pamphlets that have been written against him being filled with Invectives grounded upon the Story of the Tap. Oh monstrous Ingratitude His Majesty having prepared all things in readiness Embarqued for England the Royal Charles being appointed for that purpose And was attended by the Commissioners and a numerous Company of English Gentry and waited on by General Mountague with the whole Fleet and having a fair and gentle Gale Landed at Dover May 25. where he was met by the General and chief Nobility and so conducted to Canterbury Rochester and Darkford and from thence to London where His Majesty found the Lord Mayor and Aldermen ready in a Tent which was pitcht in St. Georges Fields to receive him the several Regiments being there placed in Order made a Lane for his Majesty to pass through the Sword being delivered him according to Custom he re-delivered it and after a splendid Treat proceeded into London by Southwark from the Bridge to Temple-Bar the Streets were Railed on one side with Standings for the Liveries and on the other with the Train'd Bands and sevefal Companies of Gentlemen Volunteers in White Doublets under the Command of Sir John Staywell through which His Majesty passed in a Splendid and Triumphant manner being bravely attended by Sir Anthony and the rest of the Commissioners of the Parliament and City together with all the principal Nobility and Gentry of England with innumerable others and so he passed to White-hall where both Houses of Parliament waited his Arrival whose Speakers in elegant Speeches acquainted him with the Felicity and Happiness they conceiv'd in this happy Revolution The Friday following His Majesty went the private way to the House of Lords and after having made a short Speech signed those Acts which were ready for the Royal Assent And not long after proceeded to the choice of his Privy-Council and in consideration of the great Esteem he had for Sir Anthony Ashly Cooper nominated him for one of them Wisely considering
That he whose Counsels had been so successful in contriving His Restoration might be highly necessary and very much conduce to the Establishment of Him in His Kingdom and to shew the extraordinary Esteem he had for his Parts and Abilities he advanced him to be one of the first Rank in the Council placing him above his Royal Brother the Duke of Gloncester and even General Monke himself whom his Majesty use to 〈◊〉 Political Father And having in sundry respects saith Sir William Dugdale in his History of the Baronage of England whom we cannot suspect of Partiality manifested his Loyalty to Charles the First and his great Affection to his Country in the late perilous and difficult Times and likewise to our present Soveraign by his prudent and seasonable Advice and Consultation with General Monke in order to His Majesties Restoration in consideration of these his acceptable Services he was by Letters Patents bearing date at Westminster upon the 20th day of April in the Thirteenth Year of His Majesties Raign advanced to the Degree and Dignity of a Baron of this Realm by the Title of Lord Ashly of Wimbourne St. Giles and to the Heirs Males of his Body This Honour was conferred upon him in the Banqueting-House at White-hall three days before His Majesties Coronation in order to his assisting in the performance of that splendid Ceremony And when his Majesty was pleased to issue out the Grand Commission of Oyer and Terminer for the Trial of the Regicides directed to several Noble Persons choice was made of this Honourable Lord to be of the number of that Court his Majesty deeming him to be a Person whose Prudence and Loyalty render'd him as deserving of the Honour to which his Majesty therein preferred him as any other contained in that Commission And as if his Majesty had so high a Valuation for his Lordship that he thought his profound Parts and exemplary Loyalty merited a perpetual confluence of Royal Favours he raised him at several times to higher degrees of Honour making him Chancellor of his Exchequer Under-Treasurer of the Exchequer Lord Lieutenant of the County of Dorset and one of the Lord Commissioners of the Treasury But all these being too small to compensate his Merits and demonstrate the Royal Bounty and Princely Gratitude of his Soveraign whose Generous Nature inclines him to delight in nothing more then to reward like a King He was advanced to the Title and Dignity of an Earl being in the year 1672. created Earl of Shaftesbury and Lord Cooper of Paulet to him and the Heirs Males of his Body by Letters Patents bearing date at Westminster upon the 23 d. day of April in the Twenty Fourth Year of his Majesties Raign And in November following upon the Resignation of Sir Orlando Bridgeman his Majesty to gratifie the uninterrupted good Services of the Earl of Shaftesbury Chancellor of his Exchequer and one of the Lord Commissioners of the Treasury was pleased to give unto him the Keeping of the said Great Seal with the Title of Lord High Chancellor of England these are the words of the Gazette being the second Person that had enjoyed that Title since his Majesties Raign Whereby he was placed by his Great Master in the highest Orb that any Subject could possibly move in The Kings Conscience being as it were committed to his Care and Management And with what Prudence and Candour Honour and Integrity he acquitted himself in that great and weighty Imployment the Transactions of the Court of Chancery during the time of his Chancellorship will best testisie Justice then run in an equal Channel so that the Cause of the Rich was not suffer'd to swallow up the Rights of the Poor nor was the strong or cunning Oppressor permitted to devour the weak or unskilful Opposer but the abused found Relief suitable to their Distress and those by whom they were abused a severe Reprehension answerable to their Crimes The mischievous Consequences which commonly arise from the delays and other practices of that Court were by his ingenious and judicious Management very much abated and every thing weighed and determined with such an exact Judgment and Equity that it almost exceeds all possibility of belief And because the Traducers of this Lords Loyalty not only reproach him with the Tap which was an unquestionable Mark of Loyalty and Honour it being got in conducting his Majesty to his Crown and Kingdom but have likewise quarrel'd at his constant Faithfulness to the Royal Interest and endeavour'd to abuse every thing he did for his Majesties Service as they have done the speech he made to the Parliament upon the account of the Dutch War And that the World may see the temper of the Men and upon what ground it is they were his Enemies I have set down the Speech verbatim as follows My Lords and you the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commous THe King hath spoken so fully so excellently well and so like Himself that you are not to expect much from me There is not a word in His Speech that hath not its full weight And I dare with assurance say will have its effect with you His Majesty had called you sooner and His Affairs required it but that He was resolved to give you all the ease and vacancy to your own private Concerns and the People as much respit from Payments and Taxes as the necessity of His Business or their Preservation would permit And yet which I cannot but here mention to you by the Crafty insinuations of some ill affected persons there have been spread strange and desperate Rumours which your Meeting together this day hath sufficiently proved both malicious and false His Majesty hath told you that He is now engaged in an important very expensive and indeed a War absolutely necessary and unavoidable He hath referred you to His Declaration where you will find the Personal indignities by Pictures and Medals and other publique affronts His Majesty hath received from the States their Breach of Treaties both in the Surinam and East-India business and at last they came to that heighth of Insolence as to deny the honour and right of the Flag though an undoubted Jewel of this Crown never to be parted with and by them particularly owned in the late Treaty of Breda and never contested in any Age. And whilest the King first long expected and then solemnly demanded Satisfaction they disputed His Title to it in all the Courts of Christendom and made great Offers to the French King if he would stand by them against us But the most Christian King too well remembred what they did at Munster contrary to so many Treaties and solemn Ingagements and how dangerous a Neighbour they were to all Crowned heads The King and His Ministers had here a hard time and lay every day under new Obloquies Sometimes they were represented as selling all to France to make this War Portsmouth Plymouth and Hull were to be given into the
proceedings thereon by ordering the Commitment and all things that concerned that Affair to be expung'd and raz'd out of their Jornal Books that so if possible the very memory of them might be extinguished And thus this illusterous Peer did at length regain his Liberty although somewhat sooner perhaps than his Popish Enemies desired or expected he should but not without being severaly burlesqued by a second Advice to the Men of Shaftsbury Written by the Author of the former hoping by a frequent and unwearied charging him with many fictitious Crimes slyly insinuated and audatiously affirmed with all the confidence and formality imaginable they should at length get them believed to be real ones The whole Composition both of this and the former Advice was made up of nothing in the World but malice and revenge carefully infused into the mercinary wretch by the same aspring Favourite who had improved the Earls Application to the Court of Kings-Bench into a Crime and were inbibed by him with all imaginable greediness hoping thereby to relieve his wants and supply his necessity and as liberally cast out in those two scurilous Libels to poyson and infect the froth of the Town and the scum of the Universities and that they might be the more successful the Name of the Author is carefully conceal'd not from any sparks of modesty but that he might thereby with the more advantage and security exercise his Impudence in defaming the Earl wisely considering That if his Name which justly deserves to be Intom'd and Rot in his own infamy should have been perfixed to them it would certainly have spoiled the Design by making it appear too bare-fac'd And indeed it redounds very much to the Earls Honour and Renown that his Enemies could procure no other to Write against him than one whose Pen had been so long implyed against his Soveraign But notwithstanding all those devices the Earls Honour and Reputation was above the reach of their malice as well as his Loyalty had been above the reach of their poyson and infection Nor was he thereby discouraged from opposing the Designs of the Papishes as vigorously as ever but endeavoured notwithstanding in the several Sessions of Parliament to procure the passing such wholsome Laws as might restrain Debauchery and secure us against the growing Designs of Rome and France which tended to undermine the Protestant Religion the interest of the English Nation and prejudice and endanger His Majesties Person and Government But more especially those two admirable Bills The first whereof provided That no Papish should hold any Offices or enjoy any places of profit or trust either Civil or Military upon which His Royal Highness laid down several great Offices and Places which were held and enjoyed by him And the second for the disabling any Papish from siting as a Member in either House of Parliament although this latter could not pass without a Proviso that it should not extend to the Duke of YORK However these Acts of Parliament did not prevent there proceeding in those monstrous Designs which they had so long been forming in their secret Cabals To Murther the King subvert the Government Massacre the Protestant Nobility and Gentry extirpate the Protestant Religion and introduce Popery into this Kingdom Having for that purpose maintained Correspondence with a Neighbouring Prince procured indulgences from Rome to dispence with their taking the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance together with all other Tests when it should be necessary for the management of their Affairs collected Mony appointed Officers delivered out Commissions procur'd a Bull from the Pope for the Excommunicating of His most Sacred Majesty held divers Consults at Wild-House the White Horse Tavern and several other places to consider of the methods which they were to take in this Conspiracy and appoint every one the part which he was to act in the Plot. Wherein those vile 〈◊〉 and Traytors with an Hellish Impudence adventur'd to Declare the best of Kings to be Excommunicated and Condemned as an Heretick by the pretended power of the Pope to lose both his Crown and Life together with all the Protestant Nobility Gentry and Commonalty of England who had rendered themselves any way obnoxious by their endeavours to suppress Popery especially His Grace the Duke of Monmouth and the Earl of Shaftsbury Nor were their Designs discovered till they were just ready to be put in Execution all things being in as much readiness as they were in the Gunpowder Treason against King James But yet the watchful Providence of the Almighty by whom and not by that Grand Impostâ—â— at Rome Kings Reign and Princes Decree Justice it was seasonably discovered to their amazement and confusion whereby they were driven to the very depths of despair fearing that their Villany being so plainly discovered and their Cruelty and Treason exposed and undeniably proved by Coleman's Letters Godfrey's Murther Arnald's Assassination c. they should never be able to clear themselves and retrieve their Plot. However they Resolved to attempt both the one and the other by charging his Lordship and others who had been the most Zealous Prosecuters of the Plot not only of having invented this Plot which they affirmed was altogether a fiction but also with carrying on a Treasonable Design against the King's Majesty under colour thereof The Plot being thus discovered his Lordship being moved by a Principal of Loyalty to His Majesties Love to his Country and Zeal to the Protestant Religion endeavoured to the utmost of his power to have it narrowly enquired into and searched to the bottom that so the mischevious Consequences of it might be the better provided against and the King's Person and Government the Protestant Religion and the English Nation might by an early Provision be secured against the like attempts for the future as well as the present frustrated which so much enraged them that it added fuel to their malice and sharpened their desire of accomplishing his ruine Assuring themselves as the Lords in the Tower told Mr. Dangerfield That if they were as well rid of him as they were of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey they should then be able to conquer all difficulties stifle the Popish Plot and bear down all before them Wherefore finding him the greatest hinderance to their Designs and the most active Man in prosecuting their Plot they entered into a Resolution to dispatch him into another World as was affirmed by Messenger Gentleman of the Horse to the Lord Arundel of Warder about three Weeks or a Month before Mr. William Stayley was apprehended even so early did they begin their Designs of Murthering him for endeavouring to expose their Plot. And not long after Stayley and Mattisson being together at the Cross-Keys Tavern in Covent Garden Declared That to prevent the severities which might be the event of this discovery they must take a speedy course to destroy some particular persons who were the most active Men at that juncture of time and that it was resolved on
And that for the second time he had received His Majesties Gracious Pardon wherefore he hoped those Matters would not be remembred against him now to the prejudice of his Evidence The Earl of Essex demanded of him who had sollicited His Majesty for his Pardon he answered Captain Richardson then his Boy Witnessed that he had Lodged at Powis's House and had been several times at the Lord Powis's Lodgings at the Tower That he had several times sent him with Letters and other Papers to the Lord Powis and that he had brought him back Answers That the Lady Powis had been several times at Mrs. Celliers during the time that Dangerfield Lodged there and particularly on the Saturday was seven night before when she was alone with him in a Room in private discourse about half an hour Then the Lord Chancellor asked him whether he had ever been with the Earl of Shaftsbury to which he replyed He had been several times with his Lordship and had discoursed with him repeating some of those things which had passed between them You are in the mean time saies the Chancellor a fine Fellow to come first to the King then to the Lord Powis and from thence to the Earl of Shaftsburys and discover to one what discourse you had with the other and go with one Story to the Earl of Shaftsbury and bring another to the Council And indeed the business appeared so plain to the Board that they committed him to Newgate by the following Warrant THese are in His Majesties Name to require you to 〈◊〉 into your Custody the person of Thomas Willoughby which was the Name he then went by herewith sent you for forgng Letters importing High Treason and fixing the same privately at Mr. Mansel's Chamber to render him Guilty thereof without cause And you are to keep him safe till he shall be delivered by due course of Law for which this shall be your Warrant Council-Chamber Whitehall October 27th 1679. To the Keeper of Newgate or his Deputy ANd now the wickedness which had hitherto hovered in the Dark Cavernes began to be more and more exposed for Mrs. Celliers House being searched the whole Scheam of their Villanies was found hid in a Tub of Meal they having assured themselves that none would be so scrutinous as to to search there whereupon she was apprehended and being examined concerning Mr. Dangerfield she said she had entertained him upon no other account than to get in desperate Debts However being sent to the Gate-House she presently dispatcht away a Paper to him telling him That now her Life lay in his hands and therefore directed him to confirm what she had said That he was taken into her House only to get in bad Debts c. sending him withal Twenty Shillings in Silver and a Guinney and two Books of Account that so he might Conover and be perfect in his Lesson But taking Caution by the unfortunate Mr. Coleman he resolved not to throw away his Life as he had done nor patiently consent to be Hanged to please the Conspirators Wherefore he made a full discovery of the whole Matter upon Oath before Sir Robert Clayton then Lord Mayor of London whereupon Sir Robert repaired to Whitehall and gave an account thereof to His Majesty who presently sent it to the Council and Dangerfield was thereupon by order of Council brought before them and was further examined by their Lordships who thereupon committed the Earl of Castlemain to the Tower Mr. Gadbury to the Gate-house Mrs. Cellier and Mr. Regaut to Newgate and the Countess and others into the Custody of His Majesties Messengers and the whole Design was at several times undeniably proved before them by innumerably concurring Circumstances and substantial Evidences and the Conspirators themselves confest the greatest part of it to be true But yet hoping to make the best of it and turn it off to the Lord Shaftsbury and the rest of the Protestants whose ruin they thirsted for their Oracle Gadbury pretended to make some great discovery in case His Majesty would grant him his Pardon which he Graciously promised to do But his Lordship hearing thereof and suspecting that those who had endeavoured to ruin him by a Plot to charge him with Treason and had failed of accomplishing it that way would not scruple at attempting to attain their end by false and feigned discoveries thereof desired that no Pardon might pass the Seal for Gadbury until he had first been heard in Council whereby he wisely prevented that mischief which was supposed to be designed against his Lordship by that Jesuited Star-gazing Caballistical Whiffler That which confirmed most men in their Opinion that he had some design against the Earl was this That although he did shortly after receive the King 's Gracious Pardon yet no discovery made by him was ever heard of to this day But these things were scarce over when another design to murther him is discovered by Francisco de Feria who deposed at the Bar of the House of Commons that being prefered to be Interpreter and Secretary of Languages to the Lord Gasper Abrew de Freitas Ambassador in Ordinary from the Prince of Portugal to the King of England The Ambassador perswaded him to kill the Earl of Shaftsbury by throwing a hand-Granado into his Coach which he said was easie to be done when his Lordship was travelling upon the Road into the Country which he did often What an heroick and magnanimous Soul must he then be master of that could so bravely bare up against all those boisterous Storms and continual Tempests which were perpetually raised against him by the art and malice of the Popish Crew And that notwithstanding those innumerable difficulties and dangers wherewith he was always surrounded and which still threatned his ruine the simple consideration of his own Innocence and Loyalty was able to maintain an undisturbed quiet and a perpetual Serenity within him But however these frequent disappointments inraged yet it did not discourage them from further Attempts against his Life and Honour but rather added to their fury and encreased their desire of revenge The next endeavour therefore to prove that he the Earl of Essex and the Lord Wharton had assisted Oates Tongue and Bedloe in contriving the Popish Plot. To which purpose they corrupted Mr. Blood and prevailed with him to write a treasonable Letter to Oates and then cause the Doctor 's Papers to be searched and rummaged in hope to find it there and so to prove him to be a Confederate with his Lordship and other Protestant Nobles But the Doctor sent the Letter to Sir Joseph Williamson then Secretary of State and thereby spoiled that Design whereupon they sent one Lewis to his Lordship to desire he would send by him the said Lewis some Directions to Dr. Oates under his Lordship 's own hand-writing how he should manage himself in reference to the Plot but the Earl absolutely denied to have any thing to do therewith And having failed in
this Project they next procured young Tongue Son to Dr. Tongue to prove that his Father the Earl of Shaftsbury and Oates invented the Popish Plot Whereupon one of the Lords of the Council asked him If they contrived Coleman's Letters too To which he could make no reply and indeed the whole business was so weak and ridiculous that it effected nothing more than the depressing the Wretch that was to have been the Evidence of it under the weight of his own Guilt he being committed to the King's-Bench where he hath ever since remained Besides their publick Designs they had several secret Projects and Artifices to accomplish his Ruine As forging of his Hand and other such like base and villanous Arts as appears by their intercepting Letters directed to his Lordship and after having incerted Treason in them in a hand as near the Original as they could possibly counterfeit transmitted them to such hands as would certainly acquaint our Ministers of State therewith but more especially a certain Gentleman who had commanded a Regiment of Horse in the Service of his late Majesty for whose sake and his present Majestie 's he suffered the loss of all that he had writ to the Earl about relieving him against the Gout with which he was much afflicted whose Letter was intercepted the person that writ it lived at that time in the Frengch King's Dominions and after they had added to it an account that the Writer was able to furnish the Earl with Forty thousand men from France to oppose the D. Y's Interest it was then convey'd to some of the French Ministers of State presuming they would send a Copy of it hither but by an over-ruling Providence the Letter was strangely return'd into the Gentleman's own hands whereby the mischief they intended was prevented His Majesty having prorogued the Parliament his Lordship together with the Earls of Huntington Clare Stamford c. the Lords North and Grey Chando's Grey Howard and Herbert being introduced to his Majestie 's Presence by his Highness Prince Rupert presented the following Petition and Advice to His Majesty SIR VVE are here to cast our selves at your Majestys feet being Ten of the Peers of Your Realm of England and in our own Names and in the Names of several others of our fellow Peers do humbly beg That Your Majesty would consider the great Danger Your Royal Person is in as also the Protestant Religion and the Government of these Your Nations We humbly pray that in a time when all these are so highly concerned Your Majesty will effectually use Your Great Council the Parliament SIR Out of the deepest sence of Duty and Loyalty to Your Majesty we offer it as our humble Advice and earnest Petition that the Parliament may sit at the time appointed and that Your Majesty would be Graciously pleased to give publick Notice and Assurance thereof that the minds of Your Majestys Subjects may be settled and their fear removed To this Petition and Advice His Majesty answered He would consider of what they had offered and told them that he heartily wished all other people were as solicitous for the peace and good of the Nation as he was and ever would be However he was pleased soon after to Prorogue the Parliament from the 26th of January till the 11th of November following About this time his Lordship was visited with a violent and dangerous fit of Sickness and his recovery was somewhat doubted of but Heaven was pleased to spare him to be a further Scourge and Terrour to the Papists those common Pests of Christendom and sworn Enemies to His Majesty and the English Nation The Romanists having tryed so many ways and different methods for accomplishing his Ruine resolved to try a new Stratagem for the effecting thereof viz. The tampering with Dugdale to retract his Evidence concerning the Popish-plot and endeavour to prevail with him to withdraw himself into some place beyond the Seas and leave a Writing behind him wherein he was to retract all he had sworn against the Papists and pretend that the occasion of his Retraction was an extream trouble and anguish of Conscience for having so unjustly and wickedly injured the Papists and procured the shedding of innocent blood affirming that it was by the instigation of his Lordship and other Protestants of unblemished Loyalty to His Majesty upon whom he was moreover to six the Odium of a Presbyterian Plot not only against the Papists but against His Majesties Person and Government But the mischief of it was they had not then Debauched his Conscience perswaded him to question the Truth of God's Omnisciency or wholly Erradicated the Beleif of a Deity out of his mind and thereby render him hardy enough to undertake so Barbarous a Work without any kind of Hissitation Wherefore being touched with some Remorse at so horrid a Villany he gave an account of the business to his Lordship and some others and so that design suffered the same fate with the rest and produced no other effect than exposing the malice of his Enemies and the informing him what he must live in a dayly expectation of from those indefatigable wretches and purchasers of Perjury by offers of two Thousand Pounds and promises of other Rewards and Gratitudes A Sum so considerable and Arguments so powerful and irresistable that it would have been a rarity much more amazing and would infinitly have transcended any of those called The Seven Wonders of the World if they should alwaies have been so unhappy as not to meet with some Profligate Villain or other who would upon those considerations engage to Swear whatsoever they should dictate and even defie the Almighty and storm Heaven it self to gain so immence a Treasure and acquire a Fortune so far above what their Birth or Education ever gave them a Prospect of In December 1680. he was present at and assisted in the trying William Viscount Stafford upon an Impeachment of the House of Commons for Ploting and Conspiring with the Pope and his Emissaries to Murther the King exterpate the Protestant Religion and subvert the Government of these Kingdoms and after a fair Tryal his Lordship with the Majority of the Peers sound him Guilty of the Treason whereof he stood Impeached upon which he received Sentence to be Hang'd Drawn and Quarter'd the rigour whereof was remitted by the Gracious Pleasure of His Majesty And not long after he was beheaded on a Scaffold erected for that purpose on Tower-Hill On the 10th of Jannuary His Majesty Prorogued the Parliament and on the 18th they were Dissolved by Proclamation and a New one summoned to meet at Oxford on the 21 st of the following March which being looked upon by his Lordship and divers others of the Nobility and Gentry to be ominous and attended with much hazard and danger and was afterwards really found to be so by some To prevent which the Earl joyned with several Noblemen in presenting a humble Petition and Advice full of Tenderness
drawing near the Members from all parts repaired thither and apprehending themselves in danger of being exposed in a place so remote from London to the Insolency of the Papists upon the account of that Vigilency and Courage wherewith they had prosecuted the Popish Plot in former Parliaments they appeared there with a Guard some of them being accompanied thither by their Tenants and Neighbours some by the Freeholders by whom they were chosen and many of them only by their own Domisticks And to say the Truth the whole number was so inconsiderable that it served rather for Ornament than Strength and could have afforded but little assistance if the Papists had made an assault upon them as was feared Going thus attended to Parliaments holden at places remote from the Royal City hath alwaies been usual and customary and accounted not only honest but desent and honourable too especially in times of difficulty and danger when not only a Suspition but unquestionable Evidence and undeniable Proof of a design to destroy the King murther His Subjects and subvert the Government renders it foolish and unsafe to do otherwise least thereby the innocent and unwary expose themselves to the insolence and fury of their stronger Adversaries But notwithstanding this antient and laudable Custom it was looked upon at this time as an ill thing and great improvement made thereof towards the effecting what had been formerly so often unsuccessfully attempted as will appear by the sequel of this History The King having made preparations for His Journey to Oxford went first to Windsor and from thence to the University being met upon the Border of the County by the High Sherift and his Attendance and at Wbateby by the Lord Norris Lord Lieutenant of the County with a great Train of Gentry and the two Troops of the County Militia who conducted him to the East-Gate of the City where he was received by the Mayor and the rest of the Magistrates and welcomed by the Recorder in an elegant and florid Oration Then the Mayor presented him with the Mace Sword which being return'd again the Mayor attended with the Aldermen and Recorder carried the Mace before His Majesty to Christ Colledge-Gate from whence the King passing to His Lodgings which were prepared for him in the Colledge was received by the Bishop and welcomed in a Latin Speech which he made on his Knees And the next morning His Majesty was attended by the Vice-Chancellor the Orator and the rest of the Officers belonging to the University The Orator making a Speech to the King in Latin and to the Queen in English His Lordship and divers other persons imitated those of other parts and went to Oxford accompanied likewise with several persons of their Neighbours and Acquaintance who Innocently offered to wait on them some part of the way and others throughout to Oxford On the 21st the Parliament met at the Convocation House The King told them he had not parted with His last House of Commons had it not been for their unwarrantable proceedings he commended to them the prosecution of the Plot c. Having ended his Speech the Commons returned to their House to chuse themselves a Speaker and unanimously made choice of Mr. Williams who had been Speaker of the former Parliament the choise being over they presented him to His Majesty and the Speaker Addressing himself to the King acquainted Him That the Commons according to His Majesties command had proceeded to choose them a Speaker and to shew that they were not given to change they had chosen him and that he did according to their command prostrate himself at His Majesties Feet to receive his pleasure with a Head and Heart full of Loyalty to His Sacred Person Armed with a settled Resolution never to depart from His antient and well settled Government The King having approved of the choice and confirmed him for Speaker the Commons withdrew and repaired to their own House and settled Elections c. On the 25th they entered upon the consideration of the Matter relating to the Bill which had passed both Houses in the last Parliament for repeal of the Act of the 35th of Elizabeth but was not tendred to His Majesty for the Royal Assent and resolved that a Messenger should be sent to the Lords to desire a Conference thereupon Another Message was also ordered to be sent to the Lords to put them in mind that they had formerly by their Speaker demanded judgment of High Treason at their Bar against the Earl of Danby and therefore desired them to appoint a day to give judgment against him upon their Impeachment The Impeachment of Fitz-Harris was next entered upon in order whereunto his Examination being-read in the House they ordered it to be Printed and that Fitz-Harris should be impeached at the Lords Bar and a Committee appointed to draw up Articles against him The House ordered Sir Lionel Jenkins to carry up the Impeachment to the Lords which he at first refused but perceiving the Commons were ready to proceed against him for that Contempt he complied and went up and impeached Fitz-Harris at the Bar of the Lords House in the Name of the Commons and People of England The Impeachment of Fitz-Harris being thus delivered to the Lords they rejected it whereupon his Lordship and Eighteen Peers entered their Proestation against their throwing of it out The Commons likewise Voted it to be illegal and the next Morning March 28th His Majesty sent for them into the House of Lords and told them that their beginnings had been such that he could expect no good of this Parliament and therefore thought fit to Dissolve them and accordingly the Chancellor by the Kings Command Declared the Parliament Dissolv'd By this unexpected and suddain Dissolution a final conclusion was put to all their Debates and all their further examinations of and prosecuting the Popish Plot was terminated by a full Point The Parliament being thus Dissolv'd the King took Coach immediately and departed to Windsor the same day and after a few hoursstay returned to Whitehall and the Earl likewise returned to London having first left as a mark of his magnificence and bounty a piece of Plate to Baliol Colledge With this Parliament we may conclude the Active part of his Lordships Life for about that time the Scene alter'd and he becomes only passive in the remainder of his Life in relating the Storms whereof I am fallen into such a Laborinth of Plots Sham-Plots misterious Intreagues Subornations and Perjuries and confident Affirmations of moral Impossibilities as no Age ever produced or History can parallel so that it cannot be expected I should Write an exact History thereof but the Reader must be content to let it remain as a considerable part of the Mystery of Iniquity until such time as he to whom all things are open and naked shall bless the World with a full and clear discovery of the secret But as a commical Prologue to the intended Tragedy
Illustrious Protestant Prince James Duke of Monmouth Containing an Account of his Birth Education Places and Titles with his Great and Martial Achievements in Flanders and Scotland his Disgrace and Departure both from Court and Kingdom with the most material Circumstances that have occurred since his Return Psalmorum Davidis Paraphrasis Paetica Georgii Buchanani Scoti Argumentis ac Melodiis Explicata Atque Illustrata Catastrophe Mundi or Merlin Reviv'd in a Discourse of Prophesies and Predictions and their Remarkable Accomplishments With Mr. Lillies Hieroglyphicks exactly Cut and Notes and Observations thereon As also a Collection of all the antient reputed Prophesies that are Extant Touching the Grand Revolutions like to happen in these latter Ages Historical Memoirs of the Life and Death of that wise and valiant Prince Rupert Prince Palatine of the Rhine Duke of Cumberland c. Containing a brief but impartial Account of his Great and Martial Achievements during the time of the Civil Wars together with his several Engagements in the Wars between His Majesty and the States General of the United Provinces The Romish Mass Book faithfully Translated into English with Notes and Observations thereupon plainly demonstrating the Idolatry and Blasphemy thereof Containing 1. The Cautelae or Caveats of the Mass 2. The Canon of the Mass 3. The History of the Mass shewing when how and by whom it was patched together With a Curious Copper Cut prefixed representing the Priest a saying Mass With unanswerable Arguments proving it no Service of God Published at this juncture to prevent the Designs of those that are endeavouring to Introduce Popery amongst us Dedicated to the Right Reverend Father in God Henry Lord Bishop of London Price bound One Shilling Sold by Thomas Malthus at the Sun in the Poultrey The Famous Voyages of the ever Renowned and Valiant Sir Francis Drake into the West-Indies viz. His great Adventures for Gold and Silver and the gaining thereof with a particular Account of the Famous Battel of Nombre de Dios. A large Account of that Voyage wherein he encompassed the World His Voyage with Captain Knollis and others their taking the Towns of S. Jago Sancto Domingo Carthagena c. His last Voyage in which he Died being accompanied with several Valiant Commanders and the manner of his Burial To which is added An Account of his Vallorous Exploits in 1588. in the Spanish Invasion Printed for Thomas Malthus at the Sun in the Poultrey Price bound One Shilling By the Absense of the Author and the Over-sight of the Printer these faults have escaped the Press TItle 2d part read Raleigh Redivivus line 4. r. Popish p. 2. l. ult r. Glory of p. 3. l. 15. r. amazed p. 7. l. 2. r. Charter l. 10. r. baring p. 9. l. r. it by p. 19. l. 18. r. defence p. 11. l. 5. r. flesh'd p. 13. l. 12. r. Ear p. 18. l. 22. r. however p. 26. l. 27. delea to p. 29. l. 20. r. wretch p. 30. l. 8. r. Intomb'd l 16 r. Emploid p. 32. l. 13. r. Miscreants p. 33. l. 2. r. Impostor l. 23 r. principle l. 24. r. Loyalty to his Majesty Love to his Country c. p. 40. l. 11. r. they 47. l. 11. r. school'd p. 49. l. 19. r. facility p. 52. l. 19. r. from p. 54. l. 1. r. torment p. 65. l. 10. r. whereof p. 11. l. 25. r. often admitted r. to tell p. 72. l. 7. r. stretch p. 80. l. 9. r. innumerable l. 24. r. they p. 99. l. 22. r. message p. 10. l. 21. r. story p. 102. l. 26. r. were arrived at p. 103. l. 5. r. Lordship l. 17. r. piece p. 109. l. 11. r. espoused