was impossible that Godfrey had murdered himself because his Neck was broke before his Sword was run through his Body nay your good Brother the King saw you so earnest that he was ashamed at your Zeal which made the Prince swear to the D. of Buckingham that you carryed your self with that heat that a small Evidence would make him if you were brought to a Tryal to find you guilty of the said Murder Sir your behaviour in that particular was so nauseous your actions so plain and yet so pernicious that I stand amazed that your hand stopt there in short Sir the Sence I have of your guilt in that base Murder hath hardened my Heart against you and your villainous party for the many Insolencies that they at that time did offer and the secret Murders they Committed and were by you countenanced that all Men cryed shame and stood more amazed that you were not called to an Account for that Murder than they did at the impudence of the Murder it Self though God he knows that that Murther was of it self astonishing enough but to conclude this Head I pray take two things along with you which I shall leave you as my Legacy 1. What greater Satisfaction can the World have of your Guilt in this Affair if the Sons of Men will but give themselves a little time to consider these Circumstances that I have laid before you had I been so unfortunate as to have been privy to the Murder I would have been no more affraid to have charged you with it than your murdering Crew was to strangle that innocent Magistrate you will do well now to acquit your self of it if you can 't is true you are now out of the reach of the Law and since it is so I pray God keep you so during your Life but this I will tell you that these Circumstances entitle you to the Guilt of that Fact and whilst this Gentleman's Blood lies upon you I cannot forbear observing to you that in what you did to him you gave the world a Specimen of what you would have done to others and made many Men believe That the Earl of Essex came to his end by that way of Charity so that we have had great Testimony that for promoting your Cause you would not stick at the Protestants Blood you began with that honest Gentleman and you did not end in the Earl of Essex you killed Godfrey in his Person but the whole Nation in him was murdered in â—ffigie your hands were imbrued in his Blood but your black Hell-born Soul was dipt in the Blood of us all and since we are convinced that you murdered him and Essex I cannot but be convinced that you poysoned your Brother and had you had but time you would have made all away that stood in the way of your damn'd Religion you would have converted us with Blood and baptized us with Fire your nature and actions testifyed the one and London in a dreadful manner felt the other 2. Let me observe to you the Folly of your murdering this Magistrate certainly Sir it was one of the greatest pieces of Folly that you and your Party could be guilty of for what could be your end in it did you think that if Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey could not escape your murdering Crew that we could not find one in his room yes Sir to your great comfort there was a Gentleman that succeeded him that Harazed your Rogues to as good purpose as a Mans heart and soul could wish and if a Man could but have seen into your cursed Soul we might have found that you had the same Grace and Favours for and intended the same act of Charity to him as you did to Justice Godfrey but he escaped your Blessing and is yet alive to give you an Account of his Stewardship in Print if he pleases and of some of your Royal Misdemeanors into the bargain I pray Sir how do you And how do you like your self by this time how will you come of Therefore to conclude all Is there not here a monstrous Evidence of your whole Popish Plot For in truth we cannot prove it better than by such Practices as these that this Man was killed why either he knew or had discovered to him something that you and your Villains would not have him tell or you did it in defiance of Justice and in Terror to all them that then durst execute it upon them which I say is a great Evidence in its self I leave it with you after you have mumbled over your Mattins you may consider it whilst you have opportunity and leisure 9. I shall in proof of your Popish Plot offer to your consideration the Oral Testimony that was given so that you may see that we were not overhasty in our Proceedings upon those Malefactors that were charged to be in that villainous Conspiracy therefore I will give you their Names in order as follows 1. You have Richard Gastrel of the Grange in Gloucestershire I pray look upon him and see how you like him well sit down and hear what he saith to you in an Examination taken before the Lord Bishop of London a zealous Protestant I assure you and a Justice of the Peace so that you may see we had more good Justices besides Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey and this Richard Gastrel's Information was as follows THIS Deponent saith That in the year 1675 he travelled to Râ—me and being there he was by many arts and perswasions inveighled into the Romish Religion after which he was entertained by Cardinal Barbarini as one of his Gentlemen where after he had continued about five Months he was pervailed withal by several English there and by the said Cardinal to put himself into the English Seminary where after he had continued about two years and a half he returned home but whilst he continued in the said Colledge viz. in Lent last he discâ—ursed with Gerrard Ireland and William Dormour Priests now in England the said Iâ—eland told him that the Catholicks of England had expected long enough from his Majesty withâ—ut Effect and that it was in vain to expect any longer That the King had been much obliged to the Catholics and that he had now forgot their Kindness That he did no Good in England nor did deserve to be King but was a shame to all Princes and that it was no Sin to Kill him to which one Sergeant a Schollar replied Why The said Ireland answered bâ—cause it would be for the Good of the whole Church if the King were Dead the Catholic Religion would soon be brought into England And discoursing further of their going into England the said Ireland and Dormour said they hoped each of them to get a good fat Parsonage there this Dâ—ponent further saith That having an Audience of the Pope in the company of â—our Priests and another secular Gentleman all Students of the same Colledge the Pope understanding they were going for England and
by us except only the Descent upon the Person of the Duke of York who by the wicked Instruments of the Church of Rome has been manifestly perverted to their Religion And we do humbly represent to your Majesty as the Issue of our most deliberate Thoughts and Consultations That for the Papists to have their Hopes continued That a Prince of that Religion shall succeed in the Throne of these Kingdoms is utterly inconsistent with the Safety of your Majesty's Person the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and the Prosperity Peace and Welfare of your Protestant Subjects That your Majesty's Sacred Life is in continual Danger under the Prospect of a Popish Successor is evident not only from the Principles of those devoted to the Church of Rome which allow That an Heretical Prince and such they term all Protestant Princes excommunicated and deposed by the Pope may be destroyed and murthered but also from the Testimonies given in the Prosecution of the horrid Popish Plot against divers Traytors attainted for designing to put those accursed Principles into practice against your Majesty From the Expectation of this Succession has the Number of Papists in your Majesty's Dominions so much increased within these few Years and so many been prevailed with to desert the true Protestant Religion That they might be prepared for the Favours of a Popish Prince as soon as he should come to the Possession of the Crown And while the same Expectation lasts many more will be in the same Danger of being perverted This it is that has hardned the Papists of this Kingdom animated and confederated by their Priests and Jesuits to make a common Purse provide Arms make Application to foreign Princes and solicit their Aid for imposing Popery upon us and all this during your Majesty's Reign and while your Majesty's Government and the Laws were our Protection It is your Majesty's Glory and true Interest to be the Head and Protector of all Protestants as well abroad as at home but if these Hopes remain What Alliances can be made for the Advantage of the Protestant Religion and Interest which shall give confidence to your Majesty's Allies to join so vigorously with your Majesty as the state of that Interest in the World now requires while they see this Protestant Kingdom in so much Danger of a Popish Successor by whom at the present all their Counsels and Actions may be eluded as hitherto they have been and by whom if he should succeed they are sure to â—e destroyed We have thus humbly laid before your Majesty some of those great Dangers and Mischiefs which evidently accompany the Expectation of a Popish Successor the certain and unspeakable Evils which will come upon your Majesty's Protestant Subjects and their Posterity if such a Prince should inherit are more also than we can well enumerate Our Religion which is now so dangerously shaken will then be totally overthrown nothing will be left or can be found to protect or defend it The Execution of old Laws must cease and it will be vain to expect new ones The most sacred Obligations of Contracts and Promises if any should be given that shall be judged to be against the Interest of the Romish Religion will be violated as is undeniable not only from Argument and Experience elsewhere but from the sad Experience this Nation once had upon the like Occasion In the Reign of such a Prince the Pope will be acknowledged Supreme though the Subjects of this Kingdom have sworn the contrary and all Causes either as Spiritual or in order to Spiritual Things will be brought under his Jurisdiction The Lives Liberties and Estates of all such Protestants as value their Souls and their Religion more than their secular Concernments will be adjudged Forfeited To all this we might add That it appears in the Discovery of the Plot that foreign Princes were invited to assist in securing the Crown to the Duke of York with Arguments from his great Zeal to establish Popery and to extirpate Protestants whom they call Hereticks out of his Dominions and such will expect performance accordingly We further humbly beseech your Majesty in your great Wisdom to consider Whether in case the Imperial Crown of this Protestant Kingdom should descend to the Duke of York the Opposition which may possibly be made to his possessing it may not only endanger the further Descent in the Royal Line but even Monarchy it self For these Reasons we are most humble Petitioners to your most Sacred Majesty that in tender Commiseration of your poor Protestant People â—â—ur Majesty will be graciously pleased to depart from the Reservation in your said Speech and when a Bill shall be tender'd to your Majesty in a Parliamentary Way to disable the Duke of York from inheriting the Crown your Majesty will give your Royal Assent thereto and as necessary to fortify and defend the same That your Majesty likewise will be graciously pleased to assent to an Act whereby your Majesty's Protestant Subjects may be enabled to associate themselves for the Defence of your Majesty's Person the Protestant Religion and the Security of your Kingdoms These Requests we are constrained humbly to make to your Majesty as of absolute Necessity for the safe and peaceable Enjoyment of our Religion Without these Things the Alliances of England will not be valuable nor the People encouraged to contribute to your Majesty's Service As some farther means both of our Religion and Property we are humble Suiters to your Majesty That from hence-forth such Persons only may be Judges within the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales as are Men of Ability Integrity and of known Affection to the Protestant Religion And that they may hold both their Offices and Salaries Quam diu bene se gesserint That several Deputy Lieutenants Justices of the Peace fitly qualified for those Employments having been of late displaced and others put in their Room who are Men of Arbitrary Principles and Countenancers of Papists and Popery such only may bear the Office of a Lord Lieutenant as are Persons of Integrity and known Affection to the Protestant Religion That Deputy Lieutenants and Justices of the Peace may be also so qualified and may be moreover Men of Ability of Estates and Interest in their Country That none may be imployed as military Officers or Officers in your Majesty's Fleet but Men of known Experience Courage and Affection to the Protestant Religion These our humble Requests being obtained we shall on our part be ready to assist your Majesty for the Preservation of Tangier and for putting your Majesty's Fleet into such a Condition as it may preserve your Majesty's Sovereignty of the Seas and be for the Defence of the Nation If your Majesty hath or shall make any necessary Alliances for defence of the Protestant Religion and Interest and Security of this Kingdom this House will be ready to assist and stand by your Majesty in the Support of the same After this our
ΕΙΚΩΠΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΗ ΤΕΤΑΡΤΗ OR THE PICTURE OF THE Late King James Further drawn to the LIFE In which is made manifest by several Articles That the whole Course of his Life hath been a continued Conspiracy against the Protestant Religion Laws and Liberties of the Three Kingdoms In a Letter to Himself The Fourth Part. By TITVS OATES D. D. LONDON Printed and are to be sold by Richard Baldwin 〈◊〉 the Oxford-Arms Inn in Warwick-Lane MDCXCVII TO His most Excellent Majesty WILLIAM III. By the Grace of God And the Choice of the Good People of England Of Great Britain France and Ireland Rightful and Lawful KING Defender of the Faith and Restorer of our LAWS and LIBERTIES As well as the Victorious PROTECTOR of Oppress'd Europe TITVS OATES D. D. His Faithful Dutiful and Loyal Subject and Servant most humbly dedicates this ensuing MEMORIAL ΕΙΚΩΠΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΗ ΤΕΤΑΡΤΗ Or The Fourth Part of the Picture of the Late King JAMES SIR I Know you expect I should be as good as my word and truly so I will to the utmost of my poor power because of the great regard I have for your Person Cause and Interest and before I enter upon any more lines of your sweet face in order to perfect your Picture let us take a dish of drink together and give you a true state of your interest here in England and when we consider the excellent qualifications of your Hell-born Crew here you may easily conclude what a nasty pickle you and my old Landlady are in and that I shall do in these six particulars 1. Your Cattel here have acted their parts in tampering to make parties against the present Government which parties were to have been made either of your Friends or your Enemies the former are such a parcel of Cowardly Rascals that to tell you the truth as they quitted your Father in the time when he had most occasion for them so they did you witness your friends both here and in Scotland too notwithstanding the application they made by your especial direction to Sir Timothy Stiff-Jaws when old Preston's hopeful design was baffled by the vigilance of the present Government nay I doubt not but that they might by Scotch Robin have made some effort of that nature upon some of our Dissenters but alas it was to no purpose for they understood their Interest as well as an old friend of yours did of cheating your Brother of a tickling summ you know for what use and therefore all attempts if ever any were to all intents and purposes fruitless and vain well I pray what tools did you make use of very sorry ones upon my word a sort of people whose persons were neither known nor had they credit for a two-penny Loaf persons not able to make you a party worth the mentioning nor can I by the best enquiry I can make tell who set them on work or what Warrant or Authority they have for what they do for if one should ask Sir Timothy Stiff-Jaws to whom as I said before they were to make application he would swear by my Landlady's white hand that he knew never a Rogue of them all and would not lose his good Preferment as long as there was a shilling to be got though I must tell you that in spight of the Whore his neighbour he hath quitted his Post since a penny could not be got in it with any great matter of content he is now at Grass and waits dear Sir for a comfortable minute that he may have my Landlady by the hand again without disturbance I suppose he might make you under-hand half a dozen poor Curs and these the Rogues call a Party and a Party for you and upon the strength of these Fellows impudence your nonsensical Crew shamm'd a simple Declaration from you bearing date from St. Germains which did you more hurt than the Fishermen of Feversham could do for their hearts blood Well when your gracious Declaration came Lord What a stir they made with it and publish it they would hand over head without any regard had for the Publishers and disposers of the same or the least thought of making any provision for those willing Vermin that lay at the mercy of our Government to be drawn hang'd and quartered for such an eminent piece of service and some of them have taken a civil swing tho much ado before they could be perswaded to it You was not pleased to put us off with one Declaration but a second and a third was issued forth bearing date from St. Germains in which you lovingly declared what great and good things they should have the Lord knows when if they would but meet you the Lord knows where But I pray Sir why did you reflect upon the ingratitude of some of your old Friends Alas alas you did not well consider that they might be got into good employments in which they were to Battle their sweet Bodies for a convenient season or it may be if some of them had been so scandalous that they could not get into an employment of considerable trust they were got behind the Hangings with a comfortable Pension to the end that they may use King William in that Post as they did you when you employed them Nay sweet Sir now I think on 't there is your old Friend Sir Simkin you know who turned Whig to betray the Whigs to your Brother and then he turned Tory to betray your Brother to the Whigs then turned Papist to betray your good Worship what could you do with such a Spark if he should take the other turn but keep him behind the Hangings to do some job or another tho it cost you two or three thousand pounds per annum for Secret service for in my conscience Rhiming Jack Carryl and the rest of your doughty Crew at St. Germains would scarce sit at Council-board with him he would be so scandalous he saith he is a man of good parts and wouâ—d himself sign a Certificate even upon Oath since honour hath so long been a stranger to him yet none of your poor humble Curs now with you would be seen in his company for forty shillings a man lest he should betray you once more Come let me ask you one civil question if you should be King of Poland or Jerusalem or Ushant or Bell Isle Would you ever admit him so much as Clerk of your Kitchen truly you must have the Grace of a great deal of good Nature to believe him worthy of such an Employ for since he hath made so many turns let him have nothing with you but that of a Turnspit he being too lend for any else yet for all this this Case-hardened Coxcomb that brags of doing great feats for the support of our Government hath pretended to such an Interest with you and my very good Landlady that one would think that he was ready to make another turn and some of your Cattle here would fain make us believe he is doing
that the World may see my plainness and sincerity in this particular that your wicked party may be left without excuse that always admired you and would not have had your Crimes detected But Sir it was attempted though in vain by several Parliaments to have called you to an account whilst you was James Duke of York but the King your Brother at your procurement broke up those Parliaments that would have done the Nation and you too that right that become the Patriots of their Country but since it was so I think it necessary to remind you of those great assistants you had to support you in order to carry on your wicked designs of changing our Religion into downright Popery and the well establisht Government into downright Slavery and of these in their order 1. Lewis the French King was your main support in this affair it was he that gave you his friendship and the use of his Purse to assist you against those who had reason to cry lowdly against you though they could not be heard these you called your Enemies because they opposed Popery and the French interest and these were looked upon not only Enemies to your self but also to the French King nay the band of Pensioners thought they had gone as far with your as they durst and when they could not for their own sakes keep your Company any farther you presently Proclaimed War against them as being neither in the French King's interest nor yours and therefore you stuck close to him and for what reason you can best tell he did desire you to make what propositions you should think fit in the then conjuncture of affairs your main agent there was Sir William Throgmorton who was much obliged to you for the good opinion you had of him for you acquainted Old Le Chaise the French Kings Confessour that the said Sir William was a very honest Man one of great veracity though he was not a Lord Chancellour that held Correspondence with Coleman one of your Family in whom you had great confidence and what then truly you took the French King at his word and made such Proposals to him as you thought necessary to bring your designs about I pray Sir what were those Proposals I remember they were these Seven 1. That it was necessary that your Catholick Friends should be without the least noise formed into Troops for which there would be a Sum of Money necessary to put at least two Months pay into their Pockets 2. That his Majesty would heartily come into the design if 300000 l. were paid for Three Years by which he might bridle the Impertinency of the then Parliament 3. That in case the thing should take wind and that design should reach any of their Credits that all Commissions should run in the Name of Johannes Paulus de Oliva to render the thing very improbable if any discovery should be made 4. That his most Christian Majesty should set apart such Sums of Money from time to time as should be necessary for the Landing of an Army in Ireland 5. That his most Christian Majesty should prevail with the King your Brother to lay aside Arlington and several other Ministers of State that were not in his Interest and yours and dissolve the Parliament 6. That all Correspondence that he the said French King should maintain with you should not come by the way of Barrillon but by the way of the Portugal Ambassador and under a cover to Coleman and that no Correspondence should be held with the King your Brother but what you were to be acquainted with but not he with yours but when you pleased 7. That what Money there was transmitted was to be in the names of this Coleman and Sir William your honest Man and they accountable to you every thing was agreed to but that of the Three Hundred Thousand Pound per Annum for Three Years to your Brother 't is true since all Sums were transmitted but the French King's Opinion and yours was the same with yours that he could not mend his pace in the Design and therefore not a penny could be got till he could give the French King reasonable good proof of his Stability and Sincerity as you had done these Seven Propositions were the then Propositions what other Propositions there were made when the design was ready for Execution you shall have them in their proper place but these Propositions were such as when the Popish Plot was discovered would have proved fatal to you and much to the discredit of your Brother the King if Coleman had not been Hanged in England and Peter Talbot Poisoned in Ireland for both of them would have come in Witnesses against you and Honest Dick Talbot your trusty Tyrconnel would have been a Third and being Covetous of gaining a Fourth which was Old Plunket the Popish Primate whose Death you hastned as a gracious reward of his telling them the design he saved you from Suffering the public Justice of the Nation due for your then Treasons and you got him hanged for his pains an admirable piece of gratitude Some may inquire why the Lord Arlington was to be had aside I have told you already in the first part of my Memorial to you but I must tell you now one thing more that is I will put you in mind of it for you know it well enough it so nearly concerned you be pleased therefore to observe that the Lord Arlington was once the only Minister in Credit and he thought himself out of all danger of the Parliament for once you know that he had burnt his fingers with you in your Popish and French designs and was in danger of being impeached but came off you know how and being so fairly delivered he faced about and was always for the sitting of the Parliaments and to recover and increase his Reputation with the Parliament and to become their greatest Favourite he exerts his power in appearing an Enemy to the Popish Party tho' at that very time was a Papist in Masquerade himself and not only so but opposed the French Interest to show his Zeal against your Popish Crew he revived certain Orders for prohibiting the Papists from coming into your Brothers presence and put them in Execution at his first coming to be Lord Chamberlain nay he did what he could to strengthen his hands against your mighty Ally the French King and your self for he prevailed with the King your Brother that he and the Earl of Ossory who had Married two of Min Heer Odyke's Sisters might go into Holland with the said Odyke to make a visit as they did pretend to their Relations there but to your great Sorrow you found that they went to propose the then Lady Mary your Eldest Daughter as a Match for the Prince of Orange a Match with whom you always abhorred for you was in a very great rage not only with Arlington and Ossory for that presumption of theirs of offering at such a
thrive since you had the benefit of such admirable assistance so that reasonably you could expect nothing less than the extirpation of the Protestant Religion and the total overthrow of England's Liberties 4. You had a certain Queen that had received very great affronts from you know who her Bed invaded and defiled by a parcel of Whores and it was high time for her to declare her resentments by engaging her self in the Conspiracy especially since Mother Church was to be advanced and Heresie which had so long domineered in these Northern Countries to be extirpated she knew what assistance you had from aboard and therefore Good Lady she would not be behind hand at home especially since she could no otherways be revenged for all the wrong that had been done her She was brought upon the Stage for it but he that was most concerned thought he could do no less in point of Honour to preserve her though it was from the publick Justice of the Nation 5. You had your Female Companion which was pinn'd upon the Nation by the Advice and Counsel of Lewis your Ally who in order to secure your Brother and you to his Cause and Interest adopted her a Daughter of France and was to pay her Portion she was a main instrument to encourage Popery and Slavery and what intercourse there was between you and the See of Rome upon the Marriage with that hopeful piece of Houshold-stuff I have already shewed you in my first memorial the band of Pensioners had such a foresight of the sad consequences of that Marriage that they made many Votes and did Address the King your Brother to prevent the consummation thereof as appears in the Journals of the said Parliament and her carriage when she was Dutchess of York and when she wore the Name Stile and Title of Queen was a sufficient proof of her intentions to advance the design of subverting our Religion and changing the Government and murthering the King the Jesuits your trusty friends can well tell to this day 6. You had the standing Court-Whores that were engaged with you for this let me tell you that whoring and consuming the Treasure of the Nation were Crimes that were to be pardoned but their being State-Whores was the thing that rendered them in their day to be a greater grievance to the Nation for they were put upon your Brother to betray his Councils to Rome and France and it was by their aid and assistance that you compleated that mighty part of converting these Kingdoms by poysoning him for though he was a Papist yet not Papist enough to hold the Throne and what steps you took in his time you took by their assistance and sometimes you met with unexpected delays so that you could not preserve alive the work that was upon your hands and therefore it was resolved that he must dye that the work of the time might go on without contradiction or delay your Jesuits resolved upon it in the years 1676 1677 and 1678 the Whores agreed to it in 1677 8 upon the Marriage of the Prince of Orange with your Daughter 7. You had your Brother engaged with you in the whole design but that of his own life and I suppose you could not expect his consent to that part of the Conspiracy and therefore to prevent his Jealousie of that you forged a plot upon the Dissenting party and began with the Lord Claypoole who was committed to the Tower and you had two of your Popish Cut-throats ready cut and dried to have sworn him out of his life and several others so that you might destroy the King and lay his Death at the door of the Dissenting Protestants and in this Sir you happily failed when I appeared to take your Cause and Design and laid it before the Parliament who were willing to save your Brother's Reputation if it had laid in their power and his Life if he himself had been pleased graciously to consent to it but he would not and therefore through the blessing of God you did his business as effectually as if Sir George Wakeman had done it himself This I put down to shew you that since he would not let the Parliament preserve his life the destroying of which was one of the two good things that ever you did the other was your running away 8. You had our high Church brokers that through their folly and madness against poor Dissenters turn'd Pimps for nay prostituted themselves and their Cause to Rome and France rather than the Honest Party of England should escape the gracious Vengeance you designd for them Did they not to serve your Cause and Interest preach Sedition and villiâ—ie the Reformation promote Popery assert Popish Principles decry the Popish Plot and turn'd the same upon the Protestants and endeavour'd to subvert the Liberty and Property of the Subject and the Rights and Privileges of Parliaments In a word many of these Devils brokers they appear'd to all sober thinking men a very scandal and reproach to their Function And that I may clear this point I will instance in some of them by Name that the World may see these sort of Rogues how they help'd on Popery and Arbitrary Power to which they were by your Brother and you engaged and for the doing of which they had your Brother's Countenance and yours 1. The first I shall bring upon the Stage was old Sheldon a whoring wicked Fellow and in his younger days was as lewd as his Gown could make him It is well known that there was none greater than he and your Servant Coleman none more ready to satisfie your former Dutchess that she might turn Papist without any danger to her Soul This Sir was at your instance And to him 2. We joyn Morley that wicked Bishop of Winton that urged the Dutchess with the necessity of obeying her Husband and that there was but little difference between the two Religions and he hoped to live to see an Accommodation between the Church of Rome and the Church of England 3. Your old Friend Gunning he was a Fellow of rare Principles and of him I shall say nothing he having shewed himself in his own colours in the House of Lords in his time 4. Let me add old Cosins that met with his Friend a Papist after the Meeting at the Savoy upon the Return of your Brother and you to the ruine of the Nation and swore God damn me Old Boy we have sav'd Bell and the Dragon and we will not be long before we make your Church and ours to meet that we may be revenged of these Fanatick Rogues And 5. I will instance in Guy Carlton the Bishop of Chichester that said at the Bishop of Ely's Table in the hearing of Bishop Gulston and Gunning He had rather have Poperty than Presbytery in England for the Difference between the Church of England and the Church of Rome might be composed but it was impossible that ever the Presbyterians and the Church of
in His Majesty's Cloak Here the King interrupted me and commanded me to take no farther notice of that business and declar'd he knew more than I could tell him in that affair of Killigrew's Man but he harped much upon the great Jealousie that the People had of him and that it was much encreas'd by ill men that did labour to possess the Peoples minds against him and said that unless extraordinary care was taken the Fanatick Party would rebel and inveigh'd very much against the Dissenters and said that he thought himself in as much danger from them as from the Popish Party And many things passed betwixt the King your Brother and my self of this nature and he told me that the Parliament was ready to meet and he did not question but that they would take upon them the examination of the Plot and that if I carried it prudently before them I should never want a Friend of him and whereas I had not acquainted him as yet with the Names of the Great Men concern'd I would then tell him But truly Sir I with all decency to the Publick refus'd to tell your Brother any thing more but told him the Parliament would have the Examination of the Plot and therefore they should have the Names of the great Lords concern'd in it The King parted from me in a heat and the Prince commended me for keeping their Names conceal'd and I suppose according to his usual way he graciously communicated this Discourse to you for the next time you met with me you shew'd all the Lines of your silly Face to be enrag'd against me and gave me some hard words which I did not well hear St. Parliaments day came on and I well remember what a Stiâ— there was at Portsmouth's lodging that morning and that Whore had advised my being close confined but I went to see how the Jade looked that morning and to thank her for the counsel she gave the King but I would not see her and there I was forced to salute her by proxy and gave her two or three of her right Names and eke mine and the Nations Blessing and returning to my Lodgings I met with your good self and I saw much Guilt in your Face and you gave me an ill look or two and so I fairly got rid of the sweet Face of you but this I must have you to remember that the King your Brother would have given me any thing that I could have asked if I would have fained my self sick and not to have appeared in Parliament but that would not take with me for I was resolved not to lose two years Labour to comply with him for I had the publick good upon my Soul and that God knows was my main design The Parliament being met you know that the old Gentleman made a gracious Speech to both Houses and after that he had given some of your Conspirators reasons for the keeping up of his Army he then tells them of the Jesuits Plot but not a word of yours and Coleman and said that he left the Jesuits to the Law and that he would take as much care to prevent all manner of ill Practices of those men and others too who had been tampering in a high degree with Forreigners to introduce Popery by this Sir he brought himself into the Plot and so much shall serve for his Speech After him Roscius enters with his Knaves Face and he acquaints the Parliament with the necessity of the Governments breaking the Law in keeping up the Army and tells them they must be contented with it for this time and not only so but they must pay for it too nay further impudently tells them they could not but be well pleased with it into the bargain I wonder that ever a King would sit on a Throne with Patience to hear the Logger-head make some fulsome nonsensical Speech as that was nay if you had but observed with what a shitten Countenance he brought in a poor mauled damned Plot to beg mony withal and oh with what humble Grimmaces he addressed the House of Commons as if the Villain had lain under the Guilt of a Thousand Burglaries but the House of Commons finding the Note extreamly changed from what it was at their last parting they immediaâ—ely fell upon that part of the King's Speech that related to the Popish Plot and mighty angry they were at the violating the Law and misusing the Mony given for the disbanding of the same Well both Houses set to it with all diligence and looked into the Plot that they might find out all the Authors of the Nations Misery and Ruine and in order to find out the bottom of this Hellish Conspiracy they appointed Committees to inspect and find out and enquire into the Murder of Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey and Addresses from both Houses were almost every day voted for the banishing of the Papists or to have the Papers relating to the Popish Plot deliver'd to them to examine and to have the Militia of London and Middlesex raised and Pardons for the Witnesses And to all Human Reason you and your Rascally Crew appear'd to be but in a nasty condition And truly the Plot took so much of the Parliaments time that there was scarce leisure to make one motion for a Supply insomuch that Portsmouth and her Servant Nell talked of retrenching their Expences And what was the matter The Whores saw that the Parliament â—ound that all Care was little enough to discover what had been acted by your Villains and to come at the bottom to know who they were and then to take care for further preservation Lord what Change was here the two Houses had no longer hard Thoughts of the Fanaticks but the Papists was their only Trouble Come Sir wipe that sweaty Face of yours and don't cry here 's a word of Comfort for you read on a little Were the Houses of Parliament so diligent Yes they were What then old Rowly was too hard for them for notwithstanding the daily Applications of many worthy persons of both Houses he would not let your Saints lose one Inch of his Affections to them for the Villains were so powerful and prevalent at Court that divers of the chiefest Papers were mislaid and whatever was privately done in either House by their secret Committees for the discovery of the Plot false Brethren got in amongst them and gave Intelligence amongst whom was a squint-ey'd Friend of yours the Rogue is not yet hang'd but the Gallows hath groan'd for him many a Year if you will not believe me you may ask my Lady Jefferies And to give you and your Rogues your due you conceal'd every thing you could get conceal'd such was your diligence but yet as much as you did conceal there was enough left to shew the World that there was a Plot and a villanous one and that you were at the head of it in order to root up the Protestant Religion and destroy the Government which
if it were so necessary to have it known that your Crew were not men of that Loyalty they pretended why then were not the Witnesses better receiv'd by the King your Brother who the last moment of his Life was satisfied of the Innocency of the Roman Catholicks Truly Sir there were several reasons why the King your Brother it may be might not receive the witnesses so well and believe them as he ought to have done 1. Because he was engag'd in the whole Conspiracy of introducing Popery and Slavery but was not privy to that part which related to his own Life 2. Your Brother lov'd to appear a Prince of Mercy and Clemency tho' he had not one dram of those Princely Virtues but what his meer Cowardice compel'd him to 3. The Nature of the Evidence given 4. The Interest of the Conspirators These you shall have in due time and not before tho' you cry your Eyes out 3 Reason why it was necessary that your Conspiracy should be discover'd was to prevent your coming to the Crown for certainly it could be neither safe nor proper to set a Popish Head over a Protestart Interest especially since you had made so many Attempts upon the Protestant Religion to destroy it and in order to its destruction made such an Alliance with France as I have at large already made out in which I think you are as fully expos'd as your Heart and Soul can wish and therefore Sir I think you noâ— your Party can never blame those Parliaments that intended and attempted your Exclusion when you was Duke of York 4 That I might discharge a good Conscience and that such Malefactors might be brought to publick Justice It is well known Sir that the King your Brother was a Favourer of the Popish Interest as being the greatest Favourers of Monarchy and he was pleas'd himself to offer to reconcile me to that Party and told me That if I would engage upon the word of a Minister not to bear any Testimony against those I had accused before the Council but would be rul'd by him I should have Ten thousand pounds to buy me an Annuity and if I would I should retire to any College in either University and live there quietly urging to me that a Parliament would never gratifie me and that it was in his power only to shew me Favour and therefore advised me to follow his Directions and if I did it would be impossible for me to miscarry To this I thus reply'd I humbly thank your Majesty for your Grace and Favour and I should willingly accept of your Royal Offer were it not the highest Breach of Trust reposed in me by your Commons in this Parliament besides Sir said I your Nobles in the House of Peers must and so will all Mankind judge me the worst of Men if I should so basely desert my Cause It is plain that the Popish Party have a Design against your Majesties Life and all our Lives Liberties and Religion and therefore by the Grace of God I will stand by the Cause to the uttermost of my power to the last minute of my Life I bless God for the Grace of Perseverance I have discharg'd a good Conscience and tho' I was left by your Brother and persecuted by you yet your Villains were some of them brought to publick Justice and made Examples for their many notorious Treasons against the Religion Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom 7. I now come to shew you what Evidence there was to prove this Conspiracy that you were engag'd in for the destruction of the Person of the King and for the bringing in of Popery and Aâ—bitrary Power Your Popish Traytors were so impudent in their ways that there was no manner of difficulty of finding Proof against them had but your Brother and you stood Neuters but you were both equally engag'd with Lewis the French King to bring in Popery and Slavery But that it may appear to all the World that the Popish Plot was not short of being duly proved but on the contrary it was made so plain and evident that the Lords and Commons of England did receive the Proofs and the Evidence upon no terms could be contradicted therefore now I shall produce the Evidence of the Guilt of those who were accused to be concern'd in the same 1. The constant bloody Principles of the Church of Rome was a Testimony sufficient to have convicted them of being guilty of such a horrid Conspiracy for do but remember how that Apostatical Synagogue of Satan will not bear with any Kingdom Common-wealth or Community of Men that differs from them in Matters of Religion and declares against them as Antichristian and Idolaters but those who so declare are immediately pronounced Hereticks and de jure they are excommunicated as such according to the Council of Lateran in the time of Pope Innocent the third and by an Edict of Pope Paul the fourth in the Year of our Lord 1558 and if that be not sufficient you may remember that we are in the Bulla Coena Domini which your Holy Father at Rome causeth to be read every Maunday Thursday and there we are solemnly cursed and thereupon Sir your bloody Party and your self and all other Papists living under the Dominions of Protestant Princes were not only discharg'd from all Allegiance to Protestant Princes but all of you were and still are bound by the strictest Bond of Conscience upon pain of being damn'd to depose such Heretical Princes And Vrban the third hath taught you and them that they are so far from being guilty of Murder that they are obliged to kill any who stand excommunicate and are bound to extirpate Hereticks as they would be esteem'd Christians themselves Nay further do but observe the Bull of Clement the tenth wherein you may if you please see plainly that it is a Crime of the deepest dye for a Roman Catholick to be loyal to a Protestant Prince nay such are publickly cursed in the view of the World so that it is apparent that no Protestant Government can be safe where such a number of Men have a Being and are in any manner countenanc'd Again Bellarmin your great Cardinal tells you in words at length and is so impudently plain that a man of an Irish Understanding may know his meaning his words are these Hereticks are to be destroy'd Root and Branch if it can possibly be done but if it appears that the Catholicks are so few that they cannot conveniently with their own safety attempt such a thing then in such a case it is best to be quiet de Laicis Lib. 3 Ep. 22. Lest upon opposition made by Hereticks the Catholicks should be worsted And from hence Bannes another of the Supporters of your murdering principles hath no other Apology to make for the English Papists why they do not forcibly rise up against a King and his Subjects proâ—essing the Protestant Religion but that they are not powerful enough for such an
sâ—wing such mischievâ—us Tares as these in the wholesom field of our Church of England and to guard the Vâ—spâ—tted Spâ—use of our Blessed Lord from that fâ—ul Accusation with which she justly chargeâ— other Churches of teaching their Children Loyaâ—ty with so many Reserves and Câ—nditions that they shall never wanâ— a Distâ—nction to justify Râ—bellion nor a Text of Sâ—ripture aâ— good as Curse ye Merez to encâ—urage them to be Traiâ—ors whereas our truly refâ—rmed Church knows no such Subâ—â—â—ties but teaches according to the simplicity of Christianity to submit â—â— every Ordinance of Mâ—n for â—odâ— sake according to the natural Signification of the Wâ—â—ds without Eâ—â—â—vocation oâ— Artificial Turns In order to which having thought to dissolve that body which we have these many years so tenderly cherished and which we are sure consists generally of more Dutâ—sal and Loyal Members we were forced to Prorogue our Parliament till November next hopeing thereby to cure those disorders which have been sown amongst the best and Loyallest by a fâ—w malicious Incendâ—aâ—ies But understanding since that such who have sowed that seditious Seed are as industriously careful to water it by their Cabâ—ls and Emissaries instructed on purpose to Poison our People with discourses in public Places in hopes of a great Crop of Confusion their beloved Fruit the next Session we have â—ound it absolutely necessary to dissolve our Parliament though with great Reluctancy and Violence to our Inâ—lination but remembring the Days of our Royal Father and the progress of Affairs then How from a cry against Popery the People went on to complain of Grievances and against evil Councellours and his Majesties Prerogative until they advanced into a formal Rebâ—llion which brought forth the most dâ—re and fatal Effects that ever were yet heard of among any Mâ—n Christians or others aâ—d withal finding so great a resâ—mblance between the Proceedings then and now that they seem both brâ—th of the same Brains and being coâ—siâ—m'd in that conceipt by observing the Actions of many now who had a great share in the Management of the former Râ—bâ—llion and their Zeal for Religion who by their Liâ—es gives uâ— too much reason to suspect they have none at all we thought it not sâ—fe to dally too long as our Royal Father did with Submissions and Condescentions endeavouring to cure Men infected without removing them from the Air where they got the Disease and in which it still rages and encreases daily for fear of meeting with no better success than he â—ound in suffering his Parliament to Challenge Power they had nothing to do with till they had bewitch'd the People into fond desires of such things as quickly dâ—strâ—y'd both King and Countrey which in us would be an intolerable Error having been warn'd so lately by the most execrable Murther of our Royal â—ather and the unhuman Vsage which we â—ur self in our Royal Person and Family have suffered and our Loyal Subjects have endured by such practices and least this our great Care of this our Kingdoms quiet and our own honour and safety should as our best Actions have hitherto been be wrested to some siniâ—â—er Sence and Arguments be made from it to scare our good People into any apprehensions of an arbitrary Government either in Church or State we do hereby solemnly declare and faithfully engage our Royal Word that we will in no case Ecclesiastical or Civil violate or alter the known Laws of our Kingdom or invade any Mâ—ns property or liberty without due course of Law But that we will with our utmost Endeavours preserve the tâ—ue Protestant Religion and Redress all such things as shall indifferently and without Passion be judged Grievances by our next Parliament which we do by Gods bâ—essing intend to call before the end of February next In the mean time we do strictly Charge and Command all manner of Persons whatsoever to forbear to to talk sedâ—tiously slightly or â—rreverentâ—y of our dissolving the Parliament of this our Declaration or of our Peâ—son or Government as they will Answer it at their Perils we being resolv'd to Prosecute all Offendors in that kind with the utmost Rigour and Severity of the Law and to the end that such Licentious Persons if any shall be so Impudent and Obstinate as to Disobey this our Royal Command may be detected and brought to due Punishment we have Ordered our Lord Treasiâ—er to make speedy Payment of twenty pounds to any Person or Persons who shall discover or bring any such Seditious Slight or Irreverent Talker before any of our Principal Secretaâ—ies of State There was another Letter that was sent to Laâ—haise and that is as follows Mr. COLEMAN'S Long LETTER SInce Father St. German has been so kind to me as to recomend me to your Reverence so advantagiously as to encourage you to accept of my Correspondency I will own to him that he has done me a Favour without Consulting me greater then I could have been capable of if he had advised with me because I could not then have had the Confidence to have permitted him to ask it on my behalf And I am so sensible of the Honour you are pleased to do me that though I cannot deserve it yet to shâ—w at least the sense I have of it I will deal as freely and openly with you this first time as if I had had the Honour of your Acquaintance all my life and shall make no Apology fâ—r so dâ—ing but only tell you that I know your Character perfectly well though I am not so happy as 〈…〉 your Person and that I have an Opportunity of putting this Letter into the hands of Father St. Germâ—n 's Nephew for whose Integrity and Prudence he has undertaken without any sort of hazard In order then Sir to the plainness I profess I will tell you what has formerly passed between your Reverence's Predecessor Fâ—ther Ferryâ—r and myself About three years ago when the King my Master sent a Troop of â—â—se Guards into his most Christian Majesties Service under the Command of my Lord Durâ—ass â—e sent with it an Officer called Sir William Throckmorton with whom I had a particular Intimaâ—y and who had then very newly embrac'd the Catholick Religion To him did I constantly Write and by him address myself to Father Ferryer The first thing of great Importance I presumâ—d to offer him not to trouble you with lesser matters or what passed here before and immediatly after the Fatal Revocation of the Kings Declaration for Liberty of Conscience to which we owe all our Miseries and hazards was in July August and September 1673. when I constantly inculcated the great danger Catholick Religion and his most Christian Majesties Interest would be in at our next Sessions of Parliament which was then to he in October following at which I plainly foresaw that the King my Master would be forced to something in prejudice to his Allyance with France which I saw so evidently and particularly that we should make
might have saved him if he had pleased to have taken it for Sir it was Evident that your being a Papist was the Fountain of all the Atâ—empts of your Popish Cuttâ—roats upon his Life and the main rise of all those dangers to which his Person was Exposed and not only so but you it appeared from that Letter was heartily engaged in the said Design to Remove the great Obstruction that delayed your Work the mighty Work upon your Hands to Convert three Kingdom and Subâ—â—â— the Northern Heresie truly it was a mighty Work for that which you and your Cutthroats called Heresie was then not only the Religion of the Kingdom but it was become a great parâ—â—â— the Policy thereof and an essential ingâ—edâ—ent of the Constitution of our legal Government and therefore Sir it would have been Impossible for you and your party to have supplanted our Religion which was and is still our legal Right without overthrowing all those Laws which sâ—cure it to us So that having you on their side were the King once dead their Religion would be exalâ—ed to its greatest Grandâ—ur and Flourish in these Nations as much as at any time since the Conqueâ—â— is in effect to say that our whole Government should be overturned and all our Laws subverâ—â—d which iâ—â—itled us to the Protestant Religion truly when these Things wâ—re disâ—â—vered to the Parliament it was thought that your Brother and his Parliament would have mâ—â—e Provision in order to the Nations Security buâ— this I must sâ—y That if in the aforesaid Letter there was any thing worthy of Consideratiâ—n iâ— dâ—th appâ—â—r that if there had â—â—en any such Provision made you and your Accâ—mplicâ—s did 〈◊〉 design any â—enâ—fit to Accâ—uâ— to us but on the other Hand the 〈◊〉 of our Laws and the removal of the Obstruction of all your Designs 2. Noâ—withstanding your despâ—ir of being able to Establish your Romish Faiâ—h and Worship as long as â—our Brother lived by reason of his Unsteadiness and what not yet your Secretary was considâ—nt of seeing all this Accomplished you had never greater hopes since your Queen Maries Time than at that Juncture you might as well have told uâ— That you were resâ—lved to Remove him but you and Coleman in the two last years Letters were Pâ—â—in and Pithy and there you tell us That you were resolved upon the Point Nay Coleman was so sure of his Point That he told Godfrey that is was out of the Power of Mâ—n to Baffle the Design and laughed at the Discovery as a very Vain undertaking but this and other Hints at several Times cost Jusâ—ice Godfrey his Life for if he had lived he could have testified very much of what he had revealed to him and had promised to make a considerable Discovery of your Sirs Proceedings in his Correspondences and Negoâ—iations abroad 3. If that we had the Benefit of the two last years Correspondency we should have found how Strong and Powerful your Confâ—deracy had been against the Protestant Religion and Interest within these Kingdoms for it could not be the Jesuits alone nor your foreign Combination that could give you the hopes of such a Change in the Government or had you not intended the Death of the King your Brother and Coleman himself owned in one of those Letters that all his former Correspondency was but fooling till they came to resolve of removing the main hinderance to the effecting their Design 't is true you had the Engagement of the most Eminent Persons of the Kingâ—om that were of that Communion but they were not a foundation sufficient for you to build your hopes upon of Establishing Rome's Religion and French Slavery till you had destroyed the King your Brother for as long as he lived he did through his Cunning and Cowardize put many Remoras in your way he was good at undertaking but when any thing came to be put in Execution then he commonly quitted the Pit as loving to sleep in a whole skin whether with or without his Whores nay rather than he would have the least Trouble he could part with the Popish Religion which he loved most of all 4. That though your Brother was of your Religion and had been a Dog in a String to you in all your accursed Plots and Conspiracies even to merit the greatest care and duty from you yet because for the lucre of 1250000 l. he had mâ—de Concessions against your party that pleased you not therefore like your self you were filled with Rage and vowed to revenge your Self upon him all which we should have seen in wordâ— at Length the old Lord Anglisey had them in keeping but you had wheedled your Brother to take that Paladium out of his Costody and to put it into Sir Philip Floyds in Order to preserve them for the Parliaments Consideration then sitting but there were so many Passages that would have Exposed you to the Censure of a Parliament even to the Hazard of your Head and many of your Brothers Faults would have been Published in the said last two years Correspondence that it was rather thought fit to Commit them to the Flames or otherwise to Stifle them than that they should be made Public we had Sir Philip Examined before the Committe of Lords that then sat in the Lord Privy Seals Lodgings and then he promised to give Them and the House of Peers Satisfaction concerning the said Letters buâ— the Parliâ—ment was dissolved and through your Procurement the use of Parliaments laid aside then I and my Friends persued the Villainâ— to the Councel he was so Guiâ—ty in that Affair that the then Villainous Councel did think him fit to be removed and he was for some time suspended but you never left your Brother till he was restored aâ—d so all was lost and the Nation could never have the Benefit of the Discovery those Letters had made of your villainous Undertaking in Relation to your Brothers Blood but you dâ—d the business at last and invaded the Crown and held it till you run away so that at long 〈◊〉 you made us an amends for all the Villainies you had Committed 7. A seventh Testimony was the Lord Barkshires Letters they were so Plain that the said Noble Lord thought fit to Rub of as not being able to Sâ—and the rest of them and upon his Death-Bed did Confess the Design that was then carrying on by you and your Accomplices for the Great and Fatal Blow I Challenge all the World that heard those Letters read in the Committe of Lords then sitting in the Lord Privy Seals Lodgings whether there could be a 〈◊〉 Demonstration of your Conâ—piracy I am sure all that heard them preâ—ended at 〈◊〉 time to be fully sâ—tisfiâ—d and 〈◊〉 Confidenâ— were your Brother now alive he would no◠〈◊〉 the world that 〈◊〉 Letters hastened the Proâ—ogation and Dissolution of the long Parliament and of the sending you into Flanders 〈◊〉 the Sâ—orm that threatned you was blown over for no sooner
Deponent saying your Brother the said Messenger replied we are off that thing now therefore he desired me me not to speak of it to any body afterwards the said Butler came to this Deponent 's Shop and told the Deponent that he had received great Anger in that he had told the Deponent of what Messenger was to Attempt This Deponent further saith that some what above half a year since he heard Mr. Walliston Paston say that young Sir Henry Beddingfield of Oxburrough Hall in Norfolk was to have a Commission form my Lord Arundel for a Troop of Horse in the Army to be raised by the Papists Also about the time that the four Lords that were in the Tower that is the Duke of Buckingham my Lord Shaftsbury the Lord Wharton and the Lord Salisbury that one Mr. Knightly came to me and greatly rejoycing at their Imprisonment said that now is the time for promoting the Catholic Religion because of the difference that was amongst the Lords and that if the Duke of York did but follow the business closely which the Catholics had ground to believe he would they did not doubt but that it would be settled in that juncture of time Your Friend Mr. Prance gave in another Information on the 22. of March which is as follows IN the Month of August 1678 I having occasion to write to a Friend in the Country but could not tell well how to send I went to Mr. Pastons who lodged at one Bambers a Taylor in Duke-street who gave me an Account where to send to him and we immediately fell into Discourse concerning the present posture of Affairs and he bid me not to fear for we should suddenly have better times for in the first place he said that the King was a great Heretick and that the Lord Bellasis and Lord Arundel and Lord Powis and the Lord Petre would have a very good Army for the Deposing of the King and the suppression of the Hereticks and then the Catholick Religion should be established and flourish in this Nation he also said that the above named Lords had given out Commissions already to some Gentlemen in the Country whom he named to me who were Mr. Talbot of Longford and Sir Henry Beddingfield of Oxborow Hall in Norfolk and one Mr. Stone who lives within four or five miles of Kingston upon Thames Also about two years ago one Townley of Townley in Lancashire came up to London with his two Sons whom he was carrying over to Doway he also brought along with him his two Brothers to keep him Company they took Lodgings at Ayries house in Drury-Lane where Fenwick lodged and in a short time two of them went over to Doway with the two Lads and left the other here who in the absence of his Brothers declared very often to my Wifes Brother and to Adamson that when his Brothers came back again from Doway they expected Commissions from the above named Lords for the raising of Men for the Carrying on the Catholick Cause this my Brother and Adamson often told me at Pettleyes in Veres-street where we had a Club very often of none but Papists Now Sir we have given you an account of what Mr. Prance swore before the Parliament concerning the Popish Plot in which you may see your self engaged for you had a business upon your hands and that business was to be followed closely and then the Catholick Religion would flourish and you know to what a degree of Zeal and Piety you were converted as not to regard any thing in the world in comparison of God Almighty's Glory and the Salvation of your own and the conversion of this poor Kingdom which hath been a long time oppressed and miserably harassed with Heresie and Schism nay your Zeal was such That Coleman could sâ—arce believe himself awake when he thought on it I will now put you in mind of what he discovered upon Oath concerning the said Popish Plot at the Tryals of several of your Villains I begin with the Tryals of the five Jesuites where the said Prance did with all chearfulness declare That Harcourt the Jesuit and one of your Councellors at St. Jameses told Prance that there was a design of killing the King and St. Ireland Fenwick and Grove who was one of your Popish Messengers and Firers of the Borough of Southwark told him of 50000 Men that were to be raised for the carrying on of the Catholick Cause and to settle the Catholick Religion which Affair was to be managed by the Five Lords that were for that Conspiracy committed to the Tower who as well as Whitebread were to grant Commissions for Officers nay had actually granted several and to incourage this Prance who though he had but a little Sense yet he had so much as to dread a Civil War told him that he need not fear he should have Church Work enough It will not be unnecessary to make some Observations upon Mr. Prance his Testimony before we come to another and in it here are five or six things worthy of your Consideration 1. Here is expresly sworn That Popery was to be introduced which you know is High Treason your Priests all expected to see the Romish Religion setled and that then all things would do well and your Priests should have fat Parsonages and then all things would go right 2. This Religion was to be brought in by an Army you know that your Dragooning Apostles here might have planted Religion in as an effectual way as they ruin'd the poor Protestants in France 3. Here is the King your Brother declared an Heretick and therefore by your Popish Army to be deposed and by Messenger to be destroyed 4. Here is your selâ— having a work in hand which you were to follow closely 5. Here are your Popish Party all engaged and you at the Head of them 6. Here is all the Incouragement in the World to prevent them from fainting in the Cause for fear of a Civil War they should have Trade enough what can be plainer let all the World judge 4. A Fourth Witness that proved the Popish Plot was the Testimony of Mr. Robert Jenison the manner of his coming in was thus upon the 15th of June 1679 Mr. Chetwind of Westminster who had some Discourse with one Mr. Griffith a Gentleman of Grays Inn about the five Jesuites that had been condemned on the day before and their attempt â—o prove William Ireland alias Ironmonger executed some time before for High Treason to have been in Staffordshire and on his Journey thither from the fifth of August 1678 till the seventh of September following and not to have been within that time in London as I had with others sworn him to have been there between the eight and the twelfth of August and to be returned again thither on the beginning of September whereupon Mr. Griffith told Mr. Chetwynd that Sir Michael Wharton of Beverley in the County of York then a Member of Parliament told him
since the Execution of Ireland Mr. Jenison a Gentleman of Grays-Inn who was a Papist till about January in the Year 1678 9. affirmed that Mr. Ireland was in Town about the middle of August and that he was with him then at a Scriveners at the Sign of the White Hart in Russel-street in Covent Garden which relation he confirmed with several other notable circumstances Mr. Chetwind having heard this went to Whitehall and there attended on the Earl of Shaftsbury then Lord President of your Brother 's Privy Council and acquainted his Lordship with what Mr. Griffith had told him the said Earl told Mr Chetwind that it would be very considerable if it could be made out Mr. Chetwind being thus encouraged by the said Earl went upon thâ— 16th following to find out Sir Michael Wharton and coming to the Coffee-house in Covent Garden where Sir Michael used to be when in Town he met with Mr. Ralph Marshal who is now One of his Majesties Justices of the Peace for Middlesex who upon Discourse told Mr. Chetwind that Sir Michael lived at Hamstead that Summer Mr. Marshal understanding somewhat of the Matter for which Mr. Chetwind inquired after Sir Michael he said Sir Michael had often related to him and he was sure he would justifie it that Mr. Jenison of Grays Inn told him the said Sir Michael Wharton in the presence of several other Gentlemen of Quality presently after the death of Ireland the several following Particulars which they had hitherto taken no care to discover because they expected not that the Evidence given in against him the said Ireland would after his Execution come into question or debate the Particulars were these 1. That in the Month of August 1678 when the King your Brother was at Windsor Mr. Jenison going to Windsor on the 17th of August and returning the 19th immediately upon his return that night he went to give Mr. Ireland a Visit and found him at the Sign of the Hart in Russel street in Covent Garden and after a Salute Mr. Ireland asked him many questions as what News from Windsor How the King spent his time what Recreation he followed and whether he walked abroad much and how guarded To which Mr. Jenison answered that the King delighted much in Hawking and Fishing but most in the latter which he followed early in the Morning with some few Persons attending him upon which Mr Ireland replyed that he wondred that the King was no better guarded he was easily to be taken off whereupon Mr. Jenison replyed and said God forbid which made Ireland stop his Discourse Mr. Marshall reporting this to Mr. Chetwind in the presence of Mr. Ash and Mr. Spicer Mr. Ash replyed he was the night before this Discourse in Company with Mr. Griffith and Mr. Booth second Son to the then Lord Delamere where he heard them discourse this matter Mr. Booth saying that he heard Mr. Jenison speak the same things whereupon Mr. Marshal undertook to go that very day to Hampstead to Sir Michael Wharton and give Mr. Chetwind an Account of it the next Morning and Mr. Ash and Mr. Spicer also before Mr. Chetwind and they parted having promised to go to Mr. Booth they met him who justified every Syllable of what he said and withal remembred very well that when Sir Michael took some particular notice of it Mr. Jenison seemed to be surprised and was sorry he had uttered those words but Mr. Bowes who was present said Jenison you cannot retract your words for I have a Letter under your hand which will put you in mind of the time and he said Mr. Bowes repeated the very same thing Upon the 20th of June 1679 Mr. Booth and Mr. Bowes met with Mr. Jenison and discoursed the Matter with him who then owned all the questions that Ireland asked him namely what News at Windsor and how the King spent his time but Mr. Jenison desired a days time to consider that he might be exact as to the time when they were spoken for that several had told him that Mr. Ireland had been in Staffordshire from the fifth of August to the seventh of September and therefore he resolved to be serious in thinking upon the time when he had this Discouâ—se with Mr. Ireland in London these Gentlemen above named appointed to dine together on the 21st of June where met Sir Michael Wharton Mr. Jenison Mr. Bowes Mr. Booth Mr. Griffith and Mr. Marshall where by Mr. Bowes Mr. Jenison's Letter was shewed which he acknowledged to be writ by his own hand and further told them that upon the 15th of August he returned to London from Tunbridge and on the 17th day he went to Windsor and returned on the 19th and either that night or the next day he had this discourse with Mr. Ireland at the Sign of the Hart in Russel street in Covent Garden Mr. Jenison was pleased further to relate that upon the fourth of September following he went from London into the North and returned back to London in November following and from thence he removed to Reading from whence he wrot the above mentioned Letter to Mr. Bowes this Confession of his Mr. Marshal took incerting at that very time when they dined together all of them being present as also a tâ—ue Copy of his Letter he wrot from Reading which he brought to Mr. Chetwind who carryed the same on the 22d of June to the Earl of Shaftsbury then Lord President of the Privy Councel and communicated them to several of the then Councel and on the 23. Mr. Chetwind brought Mr. Bowes and Mr. Marshal to the Lord Shaftsbury who produced to his Lordship the Original Letter before whom also the said Mr. Jenison acknowledged the Letter to be his own all which was taken upon Oath by a Justice of the Peace for the County of Middlesex and Liberty of Westminster 2. That this may be clear I shall offer Sir to your Consideration the ensuing Informations of these persons named under the first Head taken by a Justice of the Peace which will be a sufficient confirmation of the whole Matter by which you will be left without Excuse as to the clearness of that point of Ireland's being in Town which was one of the points which I did deeply suffer against all Law and Justice in the time of your Usurpation of the Crown therefore observe the Information of Sir Michael Wharton Kt. who saith That about the month of February last Mr. Bowes and Mr. Burnet of Grays Inn and my self where Mr. Jenison an Acquaintance of Mr. Bowes accidentally came into the room so that we dined together and upon general Discourses at Diner we were talking of Mr. Ireland's Tryal or Execution whereupon Mr. Bowes begun the Discourse of a Letter he had from Mr. Jenison which he thought if he had received timely enough might have very much cleared the point of Mr. Ireland's being in Town in August last Mr. Jenison owned the Letter and continued the Discourse some
Crew could not well tell what to say to it but to conclude this Head I will say that he had an Orthodox Villain to take his last Words or we might have had a better Account of Mr. Bedloe 9. a Ninth Witness that I shall produce is Honest Ned Coleman what you dont know him Look upon him and let my old Landlady look upon him and take notice of what he saith you know that the Lords that Examined him had a mighty mind to bring you off hoping that you would mend your Manners and therefore instead of charging Coleman with Treason they charged him with Forgery and asked him why he forged Letters in your Name truly Coleman thinking that Treason being the nobler Sin of the two told them the Letters were not Forged therefore when he was by them shewed a Letterâ— that was to be sent to Father Oliva the General of the Jesuits which Coleman Frankly owned to be his hand but like a Coxcombe câ—â—ld not forbear accusing my old Landlady and said That it was prepared by Order of her Royal Highness So my Dame was brought in for a snack the good Lords finding that Ned was but a lacky Secretary and therefore they would go on with their show and upon that Resolution they shewed him a Letter from you to Father Lachaise which he shewed to you which they would have had him say that you rejected it but Coleman thanked you for that piece of Civility and never said any such thing then the said Lords asked him whether he had not delivered you a Letter from Father Ferier to which Coleman was pleased to Answer that Sir William Throckmorton brought a Letter to you from Father Ferier which he delivered to you and confessed that you were acquainted with and privy to your Correspondence with the said Father Ferier and St. German well what became of his Correspondence with Father Lachaise the Lords could prove that he the said Lachaise had received a Letter and a long one too by Colemans receipt of an Answer thereunto and here Coleman could not deny but that he had sent an Account of his Correspondence with Ferier to which you was privy and did likewise Confess that you was privy to that long Letter But Sir here was another Farthing upon the score and that was Colemans going over to Bruxelâ— and he had no more Manners then to tell the Lords that examined him that you sent him over and that â—he Lord Arundel of Wardour knew of his going over and that you knew the sum and substance of his Correspondence with the Popes Internuncio there which you may take a short Rellish in these few Words contained in the Correspondency wherein he saith August 21st 1674 that the Design prospered so well that he doubâ—ed not but the business would be managed to the utter ruin of the Protestant Party so that you being acquainted with the Correspondence you could not be unacquainted with the Designs prospering so well and you also could not but expect that in some short time the business would be managed as Coleman intimated to the said Internuncio In a Word there was another sharp question asked Mr. Coleman why he had so great a desire to speak with the King your Brother and your Selâ— when Coleman was ordered to attend the Lords to which Coleman most gravely Answered that it was to know how he shall carry himself as to naming of you now Sir what can a Man think of all this truly your Friend Prance doth tell us that you had an opportunity of doing your businesâ— when the four Lords were sent to the Tower Coleman was in a strait how to Name your Name and you in a strait till Coleman was Hanged alas good Sir what could you do less then get rid of such a Fellow but to conclude this Head I will put you in mind of three things 1. That Coleman was sensible that at the very board there sat some who were acquainted with the Design that prospered so well and therefore when he appeared he struâ—ted and hectored like an Emperour and told the Councel that in accusing him they shot at you and truly if they had shot at him in good Earnest they could not well have missed you for they reading some of Colemans Papers they thought if they medled with him you could not escape and gave him many a Curse for not keeping out of the way and truly if he had I should have made but a sorry Voyage of the Plot tho' through your grace and goodness and the kindness of your Rogues I have no great reason to Bragg of my gettings to this day 2. Coleman accused you home for being Privy to the Correspondency that he held with Ferier and Lachaise and the Popes Internuncio which all the World must conclude was Trayterous enough nay though the two last years were embezled yet those that were found were so plain that when they were read Sir John Whitelipps himself bepist his Breeches for fear and had not one Word to say for his fellow intelligencer and thought to have escaped upon the score of his interest in you but alas Coleman had so fairely brought you and Gammer Modena as partakers of his Crimes insomuch that had there been but Vertue enough in the Government you must have mounted the Stage and have been made a partaker of his punishment 3. I did not wonder at your excessive Joy when Coleman was Hanged for then you was in all probability out of danger from Coleman and when Peter Talbot was sent into another World and Dick was forced to Abscond you had none that could do you much hurt tho' you was very Jealous of poor Plunket I know not for what reason yet your good Brother maintained your ground so well that there was not that necessity of hanging of Plunket unless it were that he would have nothing to do with Talbot in giving Evidence against you but your Gratitude was great to that poor Teague and so it was to your good Brother that saved you from the Gallows but what saith the Proverb Save a Theif from the Gallows and he will be the first that will cut your Throat in a Word get over this Confession of Coleman before the Lords that were appointed by Parliament to Examine him and you will do the best thing you ever did in your whole life next to your running away and your admirable gratitude to your Brother 10. I must bring up the Rear and put you in mind of what I did deliver in upon Oath against your Conspirators as for the Jesuites they were but a rascally Crew and you were content that they should be charged and that the Parliament should be told of the Plot of the Jesuites and no more there was not a word of the Plot of James Duke of York and Albany against the Government and the Religion of these three Kingdoms Oh no have a care of him I pray don't bring him in least two of a
his Cypher and with all acquainted them that Father Lachaise had acquainted him that notwithstanding his Receipt 20000 l. of which he had given no manner of accompt he was still urgent for Money which did cause a suspicion in the French King that Coleman sought rather his own then the French Kings Interest and that Lachaise had written to him that the French King would not be wanting to supply the Nobility of England that were engaged to advance his Interest and design here in England and at the time of the Concell the Lord Powis did Chide Coleman for his being so open in his Correspondence least he Smarted for it without hopes of Reliefe and told him it was a peice of Vâ—â— Glory in him and that he would prejudice himself and Friends of which â—â—iding Coleman told Whitebread and Whitebread in my hearing did tell Mr. Coleman that it was good to be prudent in affaires of such moment as those were 6. In Letters of August 1678 to the Fathers at St. Omers he wrote that he Longed till the Blow was Given I suppose Sir I shall not need to Explain those Expressions to you though your Cattel then did Vindicate your Innocency that when the Worke was done their Mouthes were Stopt and some did observe that after you Usurped the Crown you never could hold up your Head but like Cain carried about you such a guilt of his Blood in your Countenance as made several stand amazed but whether I may make a wrong Judgment or they â—hat did observe you nothing can be more plaine then that your Brother came to an Untimely end and who was called to an account for his or Shorts Murder who to his dying Day did say that he was Poysoned so as Powis longed for the Blow I do not question but that you longed to and if you did you had your longing Gratified And so much for Powis LORD PETRE I could have put you in mind of several other passages relateing to the Lord Powis but they were not very materiall and so I let you pass for the present and come to this noble Lord Petre who was not a man of such Contemptible parts as some men would make him he was much of your own Standard both as to Courage and Cunning and therefore as sit to engage with the Jesuits to destroy your Brother Charles as your self and he might as well serve for a Lieutenant Generall and to as much purpose too under the Banner of the French King as ever you served under the King of Spain the Lord Petre differed onely from you in this Point that where he did Espouse a Cause he never left it as you did the interest of your Master the King of Spain that kept your Brother and you from Starving and for his Recompence your Brother and you Sold him into the Hands of the French King but to the point in Hand 1. This Lord Petre was constituted one of the Lieutenant Generals of your Popish Army the Patent I saw in Mr. Langhorn's Chamber in the Month of May 1678. and in the Month of June the Lord Petre received this Commission and I heard a Priest whose Name was Langworth wish him much Joy of the said Commission and this Langworth was Priest in the House of the Lord Petre and was of the Order of the Jesuits and at the Consult at Wild-house where the grand Consult was held in April 1678. And you planted Langworth in the Lord Petre's House as you had Mr. Morgan in the House of the Lord Powis 2. That the Lord Petre was privy to that Consult for this Langworth gave the Lord Petre an exact Account of the said Consult in my own Hearing and that Coleman had another to shew you and I suppose honest Ned would not be behind hand of letting you know how the World did swing and he swung for it to your great Joy So the Lord Petre had the same Account from his Priest that you had from your Secretary in these Particulars 1. That Cazy was sent from England to Rome and that this Cazy was a substantial Man fit for Business 2. That Pickering and Groves were appointed to kill the King and the said Langworth telling the Reward that Pickering was to have Petre's laught heartily and said That a little ready Mony would not have been amiss And also telling the Reward that Groves was to have said It was too little for such a considerable piece of Service but said If they like it I do But this I say That I know Groves to be a stout Fellow But in the Conclusion of the whole Story the Lord Petre was for poysoning the King as the more safe way 3. That by your Direction the Lord Petre kept several Men in Pay which were to be ready to joyn in with the French when ever they should Land and that Portsmouth and Plimouth were in safe Hands in Men that were the avowed Friends of the French King and your self and Petre did agree with Langworth and the Consul who said That they had expected long enough and could no longer bear his Usage of them for he had put many Things upon them which he had promised to the contrary when he was at Bruxels And the Lord Petre did say That he thought the Fool would have more Wit when he came in 4. That the Lord Petre did say That notwithstanding he had received 10000 l. from you yet he had expended 3000 l. more than ever he had received and that he expected that he should have received more from you for that you had received 300000 l. from the French King twice told and that he could not continue your Men upon Pay without Money and that you had put him off to the Lord Arundel of Wardour who would acquaint him with the Pacquet that Sir Henry Titchburn had brought both from Rome and France But when the Lord Petre discoursed him about them and having received no Directions from the Lord Arundel Petre pressing the Lord Arundel with too much Importunity he huss'd him the Lord Petre and called him Fool and asked him what he would have and this the Lord Petre took as a great Affront and complained of it to your self and all the Answer he received from you was That the Lord Arundel was a great Man and was old and that you could advise the Lord Petre to nothing but Patience and in due time all things would be accommodated to the Lord Petre's Content and withall told the Lord Petre that he must obey the Lord Arundel's Directions the French King putting great Trust in him and the Lord Powis and the Lord Belasys This Discourse was at the Lord Petre's House in Covent Garden and thus far the Lord Petre. LORD BELASYS Thus the World may see what a Creature of yours the Lord Petre was But like to like as the Devil said to the Collier you were not at all unequally yoked and I having refreshed your Memory concerning him let me give
humble Answer to your Majesty's Gracious Speech we hope no evil Instruments whatsoever shall be able to lessen your Majesty's Esteem of that Fidelity and Affection we hear to your Majesty's Service But that your Majesty will always retain in your Royal Breast that favourable Opinion of us your Loyal Commons That those other good Bills which we have now under Consideration conducing to the great Ends we have before mentioned as also all Laws for the Benefit and Comfort of your People which shall from time to time be tender'd to your Majesty's Royal Assent shall find Acceptance from your Majesty If this be not Demonstration that the Discovery of the Popish Plot had an universal Credit over all England I will never undertake to make any out for the future And this I must say That it is beyond Contradiction no Man of Sense ever standing in Opposition to that which is as plain as the Sun shining at Noon Day Therefore I will proceed in the tenth Place 10. The Judges of England gave it Credit Let me put you in Mind of what Judge Scroggs said at Irelands Tryal in his Charge to the Jury he saith thus It is most plain the Plot is Discovered and that by these Men that it is a Plot and a most Villanous one nothing is more plainer and when the Jury had found Ireland Pickering and Grove Guilty observe what he said to them you have done Gentlemen like very good Subjects and very Good Christians that is to say like very good Protestants and now much good may their thirty Thousand Masses do them Again in the Tryal of the Five Jesuits he saith thus This Gentlemans Blood lies upon you speaking of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey and some have being Executed for it it must be yet further told you that in what you did you have given us a Specimen of what you would do we have a Testimony that for promoting your Cause you would not stick at the Protestants Blood the Letter saith he that was found in Harcourts Papers doth farther confirm Oats in all the great and considerable Matters that he says that there was a Plot and that that Plot was called by the name of a Design which was to be keep Close and Secret This is an Evidence that cannot Lye 2. Observe what your never to be forgiven Villain Jefferies said upon the Justices finding the five Jesuits Guilty of Treason Gentlemen you of the Jury There hath been a long Evidence given against the Prisoners at the Bar they were all Indicted Arraigned and farely Tryed and fully heard for High-Treason depending upon several Circumstances they can none of them pretend to say and I take the Liberty to take notice of it for the satisfaction of them and all that here present and all the World that not a Person among the Prisoners at the Bar were either wanting to themselves to offer or the Court to them to hear any thing that they could say for themselves but upon a long Evidence and a full Discussing the Objection made against it and a Patient hearing the defence they made they are found Guilty and I think every honest Man will say they are unexceptably found so and that it is a just Verdict you have given Again upon his giving Judgment upon Langhorne and the five Jesuits he said thus But your several Crimes have been so fully proved against you that truely I think no Person that stands by can be in any doubt of the Guilt nor is there the least room for the most Scrupulous Men to doubt of the Credibility of the Witnesses that have been examined against you and sure I am you have been fully heard and stand fairly conviâ—ced of those Crimes you were Indicted for I could give farther instructions of this Nature but I now come to an Eleventh instance which is the Credit the Witnesses had with the Lord Chancellour Finch who at Staffords Trial when he gave Judgment upon that Traytor he told him that now it was out of dispute who fired London and who it was that Murthered Sir Edmundbury Godfrey Answer Give me leave to observe a third thing to you by way of answer look back a little and reflect upon the Behaviour of the King your Brother in that Affair mistake not your self Sir the King your Brother did believe the Popish Plot and issued forth several Proclamations made several Speeches in Parliament that did shew his belief but Sir if he did not believe it his discourse of it was sutable to his Company he kept but this I must say that had he joined in with his Parliament in the discovery of it he might have been much more easâ—y in his Government and might have been upon the Throne and your head upon London Bridge for ought I know but this I will say your Villanous Party could never recover the blow they received by the discovery of that Plot and it was the first and chief moving Cause of the late Revolution and the bringing our King to the Throne and delivered the Nation from Popery and Slavery and notwithstanding my ill Usage I have received from unreasonable Men I shall not Repent of any thing that I have said or done concerning the Testimony I have given relating to the Villanous Rogues and Traytors therein concerned and your Worship was the chief of those never to be forgotten and never to be forgiven I say I shall not Repent though I have received the worst of Villanous usage from this best of Government and have been left to Starve I having been now deprived of the greatest part of my Pension these five or six Years against all manner of Justice to please one malevolent Rogue who never did one good Act in all his Life unless it were to cheat the old Rogue his Father out of an Estate 2. I come to answer a second Question and that to shew you to what end I made the discovery and 1. The first Reason was that the Body of Mankind might be undeceived concerning your self and Party that the impudent Lies of your Baals Priests made in your Praise and Commendation both as to your Religion Royalty and Love to the Nation might sufficiently be laid open so that they might not any longer deceive the People in that Point as they had done in the Doctrins of Passive-Obedience and Non ressistance 2. That the Nation might be so awakned to provide in a legal way for its own security and the security of its Laws and Religion for in Truth the Lethargy that the generality of this Nation then lay under which amazed some thinking Men and encouraged you and your vigilant Villains for some thought that upon the discovery of the Gun-powder Treason and upon the late Restoration of your Brother that the Popish Party had laid all their Designs aside but alas they pursued their designs more industriously since we were Cursed with your Brothers Company and yours than ever before and your Red-Letter'd Scoundrels had so started