was forming some Villains were carrying on that horrid and execrable Plot of Assassinating his Majesties person and his dearest Brother And a Massacre was to follow wherein they principally designed for slaughter the Officers of State the present Lord Mayor and Sheriffs of London and others that had been most eminent for Loyalty Upon which Discovery James Duke of Monmouth the Lord Melvin Sir Jo. Cockrane Sir Thomas Armstrong Robert Ferguson Richard Goodenough Francis Goodenough Richard Rumbold William Rumbold Richard Nelthorp Nathaniel Wade William Tompson James Burton Joseph Elby Samuel Gibbs Francis Charleton Joseph Tyley Casteers and Lobb two Nonconformist-preachers Edward Norton John Row John Ayloff and John Atherton fled from Justice Ford Lord Grey made his escape Arthur Earl of Essex killed himself in the Tower William Lord Russel Thomas Walcot William Hone and John Rous were on their Tryals convicted and executed And it is observable that each of them confessed enough to clear the Justice of the Nation The most that they could plead for themselves was that their Crime could amount onely to misprision of Treason Algernoon Sidney another of the Conspirators was tryed condemned and executed afterward who professed to die for the Old Cause wherein he had been engaged from his youth And indeed he was so far engaged that being named for one of the Royal Martyr's Judges he often appeared at his Tryal And Manus haec inimica Tyrannis was his Motto The Earl of Shaftsbury had been indicted of High-Treason 24 Novemb. 1681. for endeavouring to depose and put to death the King and levy war within the Kingdom he having declared That in a short time the Parliament was to sit at Oxford and that he had inspected the Elections and was satisfied that the Parliament would insist on three matters viz. The Bill of Exclusion against the Duke of York The abolishing the Act of Parliament of the 35 of Queen Elizabeth and a new Bill for uniting Protestant Dissenters which he was confident the King would not consent to and if so that he and other Lords had provided strength to compel him under the command of Captain Wilkinson and John Booth he declared the King to be a man of no faith and there was no trust in him That he deserved to be deposed as well as King Richard the second And the said Earl further declared That 〈◊〉 would not desist till he brought this Kingdom 〈◊〉 a Commonwealth as Holland was That the King was a man of an unfaithful heart not fâ—â— to rule and govern being false unjust and crueâ— to his people and if he would not be governed they would depose him Though the Witnesseâ— swore positively to the particulars yet there was such a Jury provided as brought in an Ignoramus Sir Sam. Bernardiston being their Foreman who hath since been found guilty of Misdemeanors of a high nature During the late seditious Stirs and Tumults none was more active than one Stephen Colledge a Joyner of London a pragmatical person that pleased himself with the title of The Protestant Joyner he had been busie for a long time sowing Sedition and talking Treason so openly that his Friends advised him to forbear lest he came to the Gallows He made it his business to serve some dissenting Lords boasting of his acquaintance with the Earl of Shaftsbury Lords Gray Howard Clare Huntington Pagit Lovelace c. He had fitted his Raree Show and scandalous Songs and Pictures reflecting on the Royal Family The sole pretence for his treasonable actions was his zeal against Papists who he said had feigned seventeen or eighteen Sham-plots against the Protestants he affirmed that London was to be seized by the Papists and that they had a designe against the Parliament at Oxford and therefore he with some others whom he had perswaded came well armed thither Divers Ribbons were provided as a mark of distinction bearing this Motto NO POPERY NO SLAVERY one of which he gave to Turbervil and it was proved as the Lord Chief Justice said at the close of the Tryal whom he called Papists The King was a Papist the Bishops and the Church of England were Papists He was indicted for High-Treason the 17 and 18 of August 1681 it being proved that he said That nothing of good was to be expected from the King That he minded nothing but beastliness and the destruction of the people That he endeavoured to establish Arbitrary Government and Popery Dugdale Smith and Turbervil who had been Witnesses against the Lord Stafford were of the Evidence against him though there were enough if these had been laid aside to have proved him guilty Mr. Masters testified against him p. 31. That he said The Parliament in 1640. was as good a Parliament as ever was chosen To which Mr. Masters answered I wonder how you have the impudence to justifie their proceedings that raised the Rebellion against the King and cut off his head To which Colledge replied They did nothing but what they had just cause for and the Parliament at Westminster was of their Opinion p. 31. And being demanded what he had to say against this testimony he answers That Mr. Masters had said nothing material and that it was but a jocose discourse p. 39. To which Mr. Justice Jones replied Do you make mirth of the blackest Tragedy that ever was that horrid Rebellion and the murther of the late King Colledge answered I never justified that Parliament in any thing that they did contrary to Law One Mr. Jennings who was another Witness testified that on the bleeding of Colledge's Nose he said It was the first bloud that he lost in the Cause but it will not be long ere more be lost He saw him sell the Ribbons with NO POPERY NO SLAVERY to a Parliament-man as he supposed who tyed it on his Sword c. p. 32. It is observed in the Tryal that there was not one Papist that gave evidence against him and that they were such of whom Colledge had formerly given a good Character though now the case was altered The Jury were so well satisfied with the Evidence that they quickly agreed and brought him in guilty and so he was condemned and executed at Oxford on Wednesday 31 of August 1681. Captain Tho. Walcot was indicted for High-Treason at the Old-Baily July 12 c. 1683. for endeavouring to move and stir up War and Rebellion against the King to deprive the King of his Crown and to put him to death for which he conspired with divers other Traytors and had several meetings and consults to those ends and provided Blunderbusses Carbines and Pistols c. Which being proved by Col. Rumsey Mr. Keeling Mr. Bourne Mr. West and Captain Richardson he was found guilty sentenced and executed Then was William Hone arraigned on the like Indictment the Evidence against him were Mr. Keeling Mr. West Sir Nicholas Butler and Capt. Richardson upon whose testimonies he was found guilty and executed also July 13. the Lord Russel was tryed for
't is believed will be sent to the Tower for that the Duke of Monmouth will accuse him concerning the Testimony he hath given and the Papists and High Tories are quite down in the mouth their Pride is abated themselves and their Plot confounded but their Malice is not asswaged 'T is generally said the Earl of Essex was murdered The brave Lord Russel is afresh lamented The Plot is lost here except you in the Country can find it out amongst the Addressers and Abhorrers This sudden turn is an Amazement to all men and must produce some strange Events which a little time will shew And then he goes on further and says in another Letter these words I am to answer yours of the 27th and 29th past and truly I cannot but with great sorrow lament the loss of our good Friend honest Mr. John Wright but with patience we must submit to the Almighty who can as well raise up Instruments to do his work as change hearts of which we have so great an instance in the business of the Duke of Monmouth that no Age or History can parallel I am now throughly satisfied that what was printed in the Mondays Gazette is utterly false and you will see it publickly declared so shortly The King is never pleased but when he is with him hath commanded all the Privy-Council to wait upon him and happy is he that hath most of his favour His Pardon was sealed and delivered to him last Wednesday 'T is said he will be restored to be Master of the Horse and be called into the Council-Table and to all his other places and 't is reported he will be made Captain-General of all the Forces and Lord High Admiral c. He treats all his old Friends that dayly visit him with great Civilities they are all satisfied with his integrity and if God spares his life doubt not but he will be an Instrument of much good to the King and Kingdom He said publickly That he knew my Lord Russel was as loyal a Subject as any in England and that his Majesty believed the same now I intend shortly to wait on him my self It would make you laugh to see how strangely our High-Tories and Clergie are mortified their Countenances speak it Were my Shesorary to be moved for now it would be readily granted Sir George is grown very humble 'T is said Mr. Sidney is reprieved for forty days which bodes well And then he goes on further and in a third Letter says The late change here in publick affairs is so great and strange that we are like men in a dream can hardly believe what we see and fear we are not fit for so great a mercy as the present juncture seems to promise The Sham Protestant Plot is quite lost and confounded The Earl of Mackensfield is bringing Actions of Scandalis Magnatum against all the Grand Jury-men that indicted him at last Assizes And then in a fourth Letter are contained these Expressions Contrary to all mens expectations a Warrant is signed at last for beheading Col. Sidney at Tower-hill next Friday Great endeavours have been used to obtain his Pardon but the contrary Party have carried it which much dasheth our hopes but God still governs He pleaded Not guilty but the Jury found him Guilty without stirring from the Bar. April 14. he was brought to the Kings Bench-Bar to receive Judgment of the Court which was That he should pay a Fine of Ten thousand pounds to the King should find Sureties for his good behaviour during his life and should be committed to the Kings Bench Prison till the same was paid and done By that which hath been said it clearly appears how near a Correspondence there hath been between the Jesuit and Fanatick both in Principles and Practices and that the Government and Church established hath been the onely Bulwork against Popery that hath withstood all its assaults though assisted by the united force of the Fanaticks Yet all this notwithstanding we still suffer under the imputation of Popery our Worship is still calumniated as Popish and for any to return to our Communion is to make a step towards Rome the Ministers of our Church are accused as disguised Emissaries of the Romish Church and the Arguments used for Conformity are but endeavours to pervert men to the Papal Superstition our Common-prayer is but the Mass in English kneeling at the Sacrament worshiping of the Host our Bishops Antichristian and our Clergy Factors for Rome And by these slanders the Fanaticks have employed the aversion of the people against the corruptions of Rome to a direct opposition against the Church of England which above any of the reformed Churches hath most strenuously and successfully opposed it And it will easily appear that the leading Fanaticks have misled their Disciples with more invincible prejudice and implicit faith than any of the Popish Priests do their Proselytes who can perswade them that that Church which hath so peremptorily disclaimed the Popes Supremacy Infallibility Wilworship Prayers in an unknown Tongue adding to the number of Sacraments and detracting essential parts from those which they retain That the Church of England which in their Articles Homilies and Liturgie have exceeded all the reformed Churches in their detestation of Popish Doctrines that have still built on the foundations of Reformation laid by Cranmer Ridly Latimer which hath still been chiefly maligned and from its infancy assaulted by the Romanists as its greatest Adversary should now be reproached by those who in this serve the Romish interest more than their own as well-willers to the Church of Rome And in truth there needs no other Argument to prove how ignorant this sort of men are of the great corruptions of Rome that forsake our Church on a perswasion that we have embraced those corruptions for either they expect that we should renounce all things that they retain and then once more we must lay aside the Creed the Commandments the Lords Prayer c. or that we should retain and practise nothing that was practised in the Primitive Church long before Popery was known in the World And it is very apparent that we have not more displeased the Fanaticks by retaining those decent Ceremonies and ancient Orders of the Primitive Church than we have incensed the Papists by retaining of them for by these Apostolical Orders and Rules of Decency we have such a beauty added to Holiness as was in use in the most pure and primitive times free from the Innovations and Superstitions of Rome and this hath raised the envy of that Church as well as the causeless malice of Dissenters against us what these rail against as Popish viz. our Government Worship Discipline and Ceremonies the other behold with grief and envy to see a Church much nearer to the primitive constitution than their own I doubt not but the Reader will joyn with me in this Opinion that it is a necessary duty incumbent on all sorts of Fanaticks that have
the execution of the Laws which might have hindred more weighty affairs c. The King therefore consented 1. That all Jesuits and Seminary Priests having taken Orders from the See of Rome be forthwith commanded to depart out of his Majesties Dominions and not to return under the penalty of the Laws now in force and that none harbour or conceal them 2. That all Armour and Ammunition be taken from them 3. That all Papists be confined within five miles of their Dwelling-houses and come not within ten miles of London or the Kings or Princes Court 4. That all Subjects be restrained from hearing Mass or other Exercises of Romish Religion in the houses of forreign Embassadours 5. That none be intrusted as Justices of the Peace Lord-Lieutenants Deputies Captains c. who resort not to Divine-Service 6. That the Laws made against Recusants be put in execution and not slacken them on any Treaty of Marriage or otherwise with any forreign Princes To these the King answered I cannot but commend your Zeal in offering this Petition yet I hold my self unfortunate that I am thought to need a Spur to do that which my Conscience and Duty bind me to What Religion I am of my Books my Profession and Behaviour declare and I wish it may be written in Marble and remain as a Mark on me to posterity when I shall swerve from my Religion for he that doth dissemble with God is not to be trusted by men The increase of Popery hath been my grief and my endeavour hath been to prevent it and if I have not been a Martyr I have been a Confessor though I have been far from prosecution I therefore grant your Petition That all Priests and Jesuits depart at a day and will command my Judges to put the Laws in execution against them I will restrain the resort to Embassadours houses and provide for the education of Popish Children for it is a shame they should be brought up here as if they were at Rome And assure your selves I shall never hearken to the intercession of foreign Princes against the Laws Hereupon many Noblemen and others that were in places of trust were put out So that King James could not be suspected of Popery In the first year of King Charles a Parliament being called June 18. a Petition of the like nature is presented to which the King answered That he was glad of their forwardness in Religion and assures them of his readiness to comply with them The particulars being like those in the former and the Answerâ— agreeable I here omit but the King granting all added That he would have done thâ— same things had he not been desired and whâ—â— he now did was from his Conscience and hiâ— Duty to his Father who in his last Speeâ— commended to him the person but not the Religion of the Queen Accordingly the King by Proclamation recals the Children of PAPISTS from beyond the Seas commands 〈◊〉 JESUITS c. to depart his Dominionâ— to disarm all Recusants and forbid the meeting of Papists injoyns the Judges to put the Laâ— in execution against them And many Lord and others suspected of Popery were put oâ— of Commission But King Charles being left intangled 〈◊〉 many expensive affairs by his Father Kinâ— James for the discharge of which his Revenues were insufficient was resolved to caâ— to the Parliament for a Supply which takinâ— advantage of his necessities would not granâ— him any thing considerable unless he woulâ— part with what was of greater value than thâ— Crown And the Priviledge of Parliameâ—â— was made a Rival to the Kings Prerogative for several years together The particulaâ—â— are too large to be here repeated but Siâ— Edward Cooke told the Parliament That thâ— French Embassadour told his Master what had done during this last Parliament in sowing Divisions between the King and his People and he was well rewarded for it And at a Conference with the Lords Sir Edward told them That the Jesuits did vaunt at home and sent Letters abroad that all would be well and doubted not to win ground upon us by our Divisions Which Divisions were then visibly made by some leading men in the Parliament such as Sir John Elliot Mr. Pym and others but by whom they were acted it doth not appear though the mischievous effects of them brought the three Nations into Confusion What sport the Jesuits made of these transactions appears by a Letter taken among some other Papers at Clerkenwel Father Rector LEt not a damp of Astonishment seize on your ardent soul in apprehending the sudden and unexpected calling of a Parliament we have not opposed but rather further it so that we hope as much in this Parliament as ever we feared any in Queen Elizabeth's days You must know the Council is engaged to assist the King by way of Prerogative in case the Parliamentary way should fail You shall see this Parliament will resemble the Pelican which takes a pleasure to dig out with its beak her own Bowels The elections of Knights and Burgesses have been in such confusion of apparent Faction as that which we were wont to procure heretofore with much Art and Industry when the Spanish Match was in treaty Now it breaks out as naturally as a Botch or Boil and spits and spews out its own rancour and venome You remember how that famous and immortal Statesman Count Gundamor fed King James's fancy and rock'd him asleep with the soft and sweet sound of Peace to keep up the Spanish Treaty he had but one principal means to further the great designe which was to set on King James that none but the Puritan Faction which plotted Anarchy and his Confusion were averse to this most happy Vnion We steered on the same course and have made great use of this Anarchical Election and have prejudicated and anticipated the Great One that none but the Kings Enemies and his are chosen of this Parliament c. We have now many Strings to our Bow and have strongly fortified our Faction and have added two Bulworks more For when King James lived you know he was very violent against Arminianism and interrupted with his pestilent Wit and deep Learning our strong designes in Holland and was a great friend to that old Rebel and Heretick the Prince of Orange Now we have planted the Soveraign Drug Arminianism which we hope will purge the Protestants from their Heresie and it flourisheth and bears fruit in due season The Materials which build up our Bulwork are the Projectors and Beggars of all ranks and qualities to destroy the Parliament and to introduce a new species and form of Government which is Oligarchy These serve as direct Mediums and Instruments to our end which is the universal Catholick Monarchy Our foundation must be Mutation and Mutation will cause a Relaxation which will serve as so many violent Diseases as the Stone Gout c. to the speedy destruction of our perpetual and insufferable anguish of body which
endeavouring to raise a Rebellion to seize and destroy the Kings Guards to deprive the King and put him to death The Attorney-General urged That the Duke of Monmouth the Lord Gray Sir Tho. Armstrong Mr. Ferguson and this Lord with the Earl of Essex then dead were of a Council for a general Rising to which end they received several Messages from the Earl of Shaftsbury who being disappointed by Mr. Trenchard who had promised to raise a thousand Foot and two or three hundred Horse he and Ferguson left the Kingdom The Witnesses were Col. Rumsey Mr. Shepherd and the Lord Howard on whose evidence he was found guilty and sentenced to die and accordingly he was beheaded in Lincolns-Inne-Fields July 21. 1683. The next was the Tryal of Mr. Rous against whom Mr. Leigh Mr. Lee Mr. Corbin Mr. Richardson gave such evidence that he was presently found guilty and received sentence to die and was executed accordingly Captain Blague being indicted for conspiring to seize the Tower of London received his Tryal but was acquitted Algernon Sidney was tryed at the Kings-Bench-Bar on the 7th 21th and 27th of November 1683. His Indictment was almost the same as the former onely there was added to it his sending of Aaron Smith into Scotland to excite and stir up the Subjects to a Rebellion there and his being the Author of a traiterous Libel containing among other seditious discourses these words viz. The power originally in the People of England is delegated unto the Parliament He the most serene Lord Charles the Second now King of England meaning is subject unto the Law of God as he is a man to the People that makes him a King inasmuch as he is a King the Law sets a measure unto that Subjection and the Parliament judges of particular cases thereupon arising He must be content to submit his interest to theirs since he is no more than any one of them in any other respect than that he is by the consent of all raised above any other If he doth not like this condition he may renounce the Crown but if he receive it upon that condition as all Magistrates do the power they receive and swear to perform it he must expect that the performance will be exacted or revenge taken by those that he hath betrayed And in other places these traiterous Sentences are contained viz. We may therefore change or take away Kings without breaking any Yoke or that is made a Yoke which is not one the injury is therefore in making and imposing and there can be none in breaking it c. In p. 23 24 25 26. many other things were read at the Tryal out of that Libel particularly p. 26. where speaking of a King he says When the matter is brought to that that he must not reign or the People over whom he would reign must perish it is easily decided As if the Question had been asked in the time of Nero or Domitian whether they should be left at liberty to destroy the best part of the world as they endeavoured to do or it should be rescued by their destruction And as for the Peoples being Judges in their own case it is plain they ought to be the onely Judges because it is their own and onely concerns themselves The Attorney-General p. 13. says The whole Book is an Argument for the People to rise in Arms and vindicate their Wrongs He i. e. Sidney lays it down That the King hath no authority to dissolve the Parliament but 't is apparent the King hath dissolved many therefore he hath broken his Trust and invaded our Rights And concludes We may therefore shake off the Yoke for 't is not a Yoke we submitted to but a Yoke by Tyranny that is the meaning of it imposed on us The Witnesses who swore to the Indictment were Mr. West Col. Rumsey Mr. Keeling the Lord Howard Sir Andrew Foster Mr. Atterbury Sir Philip Lloyd Mr. Shepherd Mr. Cary and Mr. Cooke upon whose evidence the Jury found him guilty of High-Treason and accordingly sentence was pronounced against him and he was executed on Tower-hill Decemb. 7. 1683. I shall adde onely a few Remarks on the dying Speeches and Confession of these men and first of Col. Sidney He had no other Apology for himself but that he had been engaged from his youth in that Old Cause for which he prayed in these words Defend thine own Cause and defend these that defend it stir up such as are faint direct those that are willing confirm those that waver give wisdom and integrity unto all Grant that I may die glorifying thee for all thy mercies and that at the last thou hast permitted me to be singled out as a Witness of thy Truth and even by the confession of my Opposers for that Old Cause in which I was from my youth engaged and for which thou hast often and wonderfully declared thy self Now the Old Cause wherein Col. Sidney was engaged was the destruction of the Church and the Royal Martyr to set up a Commonwealth in which he acted as a Colonel and one of the Judges of the Royal Martyr yet he calls these Treasons Gods Truth In what Religion this Gentleman died God onely knows for he made no profession at all whether Presbyterian Independent Anabaptist or Quaker but a Protestant at large as any of those Factions term themselves As to the Lord Russel he was also unhappily engaged in the same OLD CAVSE from his youth as may appear by the following Relation Mr. Johnson the Author of the Life of Julian confirmed him in his riper years in those opinions which * This Lewis was a stickling Presbyterian that had gotten the Sequestration of Totnam-high-cross from Mr. Wimpew a loyal Minister of the Church of England To this Lewis many Noblemen and Gentlemen sent their Sons for Education among whom was the late Lord Russel And to divert his Scholars he composed a Farce wherein the young Gentlemen were to be Actors The Farce had all the Formalities of a High Court of Justice President Sollicitor Witnesses c. The Criminal was an old Shock Water-Dog which he called Charles Stuart This Dog was arraigned tryed condemned and executed by cutting off his head By which action he instilled the Principles of Ring-killing into his Scholars as if the murdering of a King were no more than the cutting off a Dogs neck Mr. Lewis and Dr. Manton had educated him For Mr. Johnson having written that Traiterous Book to defend the mischievous Doctrine of Resistance this unhappy man could not be extricated from that snare to his death And it was long before his acquaintance with this Seditious Author that Dr. Manton a great Abettor of the first War and a Favourite of Cromwel had instilled the same Principles into him For in his Comment on St. James 4.1 he proposeth this Question Whether Religion may be defended by Arms To which he answers That sometime the outward exercise of Religion and
Worship may be established and secured by Laws and among other Priviledges and Rights the liberty of pure Worship may be one which being invaded by Violence may be defended by Arms. The Estates of a Kingdom may maintain their Religion against the tyranny and malice of the Prince This Doctor had the greatest influence on the Education of that Noble Gentleman being a Chaplain to the Family and Preacher at Covent-garden for many years It is also very observable what this Gentleman says in his Paper delivered to the Sheriffs where he blessed God that he fell by the Ax and not by the fiery tryal as if it were safer to die as a Traytor than a Martyr But he says Whatever apprehensions I had of Popery and OF MY OWN SEVERE and heavy share I was like to have under it when it should prevail The Lord Russel in all probability had some regard to the loss of those Lands which descended from his Ancestors but had been in the days of Henry the Eighth alienated from the Church and which by the return of Popery might be taken from his Family And he being perswaded as he expresseth it in that Speech I did believe and do still that Popery is breaking in upon the Nation and that those who advance it will stop at nothing to carry on their designe he on the other side would stop at nothing to keep it out This most likely made him so zealous for the Bill of Exclusion and unhappily engaged him the Bill being it self excluded in this other desperate Attempt for as Solomon observed It is a snare to a man to devour that which is holy And indeed there is no other means so likely to bring in Popery as the impotent and unlawful outcrys and endeavours of Fanatical persons pretending to keep it out Religion is for the most part made a Cloak and Pretence to serve Interest In Queen Mary's days when the Pope sollicited the Queen for a restoration of Church-lands and Dignities it was first proposed to the Cabinet-Council where the Lord of Bedford being present and knowing himself greatly concerned fell into a great passion and breaking his Chaplet of Beads from his girdle flung them into the fire swearing deeply That he valued his sweet Abbey of Wooharn more than any fatherly Counsel or Commands that could come from Rome Whereupon the Queen considering of what temper others of the Nobility might be was discouraged from prosecuting that designe This Lord delivered a Paper to the Sheriffs wherein he acknowledgeth that when he was at a meeting at Mr. Shepherd 's there was some discourse about the feasableness of seizing the King's Guards and several times by accident in general discourse elsewhere saith he I have heard it mentioned as a thing easie to be done particularly at my Lord Shaftsbury 's but never consented to it as fit to be done That the Duke of Monmouth told him he was glad that he was come to Town for my Lord Shaftsbury and some hot men would undo them all if great care were not taken That being at Mr. Shepherd 's with a Company that met there there were things said by some with more heat than judgment And it is by some inferred saith he that I was acquainted with these heats and ill designes and did not discover them but this is but misprision of Treason He says Nothing was sworn against him but some discourse about making some Stirs and this is not levying War against the King which is Treason and not the consulting and discoursing about it which was all that was witnessed against me and the designe of seizing the Guards was construed a designe of killing the King and in that I was cast Captain Walcot in his last Speech said I do neither blame the Judges nor Jury nor the Kings Council I onely blame some men that in reality and truth were deeper concerned than I that came as Witnesses against me He confesseth that he was invited by Col. Romsey to some meetings where some things were discoursed of in order to asserting their Liberties and Properties which they looked on to be invaded and violated That Mr. West often discoursed with him concerning lopping off the two Sparks meaning the King and the Duke and proposed it might be done at a Play saying that then they would die in their Calling That he bought Arms to that end and said they had fifty employed to that end That he told them the killing the King would carry such a blemish and stain with it as would descend to Posterity and that he having eight Children he was loath they should be blemished with it That by the Law of the Land he ought to die for being in those meetings where a War was debated Being asked by Dr. Cartwright whether the death of the King was proposed while he was there he answered It was so and that he and those Lords who were like to suffer were under general apprehensions of Popery and Slavery coming in And he confessed to the Doctor He was guilty enough to have his life taken away adding The same measure we mete to another that measure God will mete to us So that on this mans Confession if there were no other considering the circumstances wherein he was being a person formerly engaged in the Rebellion a man of Estate and Parts nothing can be more evident than both parts of the Plot viz. to raise a Rebellion and to murther the King and his Royal Brother Which was farther confessed by Mr. Hone who told Dr. Cartwright that he was guilty of the Crime according to the Law of the Land and to the Law of God that he was to meet the King and Duke of York but did not know at that time when or where nor what was his business and afterward that he told Mr. Keeling he was for killing the King and saving the Duke of York for which being asked a reason he answered As to that I think this That the Duke of York did openly profess himself to be a Roman Catholick and I did say I had rather dispose of the King than the Duke of York And being asked again by the Doctor Had you rather a Papist should reign over us as you take him to be than the King he replied I do not know what to say to that Captain Walcot it seems had said of Rous that he would die an Atheist and in truth such bloudy men are no better they are of the mind that Colonel Morly and some other Commanders in Cromwel's Army were who said They would cast themselves on any Prince even on the Turk rather than suffer themselves to be subdued by the King But this Mr. Rous did confess That since the Hurly-burlies concerning Parliaments going off and coming on he had been a hearer and understood too much of some kind of Meetings and especially of those that call themselves Protestants who are ten thousand times worse than any others and prayed God to forgive him that he
Johnson for fear of being knockt on the head he desires the Knights directions in the management He says Mr. Braddon has been at great charge and trouble already and he knows few that would have undertaken it but himself And all this pains was taken to insinuate to the people that because the King and Duke were that morning walking in the Tower about the time this Murder was done therefore they designed it How base how devilish and hellish a designe is this as my Lord Chief Justice justly exclaims After a long and fair Tryal they were found guilty but continued under Bail till next Term when on April 21. Braddon was Fined 2000 l. and to find Sureties for good behaviour during life and be imprisoned till performed and Speke as being not so guilty being onely concern'd in the Letter 1000 l. with Sureties also for good behaviour during life and imprisonment till performed Among the rest of the late Conspirators was one James Holloway a forward busie young man Inhabitant of Bristol who having been acquainted with all the Methods and attended on all the motions of the Designe without effect blessed be God till its discovery then sensible of his guilt and danger thought it time to consult his own safety and leaving London in a disguise he ranged several parts of England as a dealer in Wool till he could find an opportunity to take shipping which having obtained he set sail and after some loss of time by stress of Weather he made Antegua in the West-Indies resolving to visit the rest of the Caribby Islands also and so to St. Christophers which he judging to be the safest place sent thence to his Factor at Nevis about some concerns he had there which Factor discovered him whereupon Sir William Stapleton sent to St. Christophers to apprehend him and thence brought him to Nevis where he was prisoner thirteen days and then sent for England where being come he was examined before the King in Council and committed to Newgate till Easter-Term 1684. he was brought to the Kings Bench-Bar to shew cause why he should not suffer death he having been Outlawed for High-Treason in his absence He told the Court he had nothing to say having told all he knew to his Majesty from whom he hoped mercy The Court told him they had nothing to do with the Kings mercy but they had leave to let him take a Tryal notwithstanding the Outlawry whereby he might have opportunity to make his defence if he had any thing to say for himself But he declaring that he had nothing more to say a day was set by the Court for his execution as is usual in Outlawries which was done at Tyburn on the 30th of April 1684. He had liberty to speak there what he pleased and held a long Dialogue with the Sheriffs delivering them a Paper which he acknowledged to be his own writing which is a kind of Epitome of what he had before deliver'd to Mr. Secretary Jenkins And so after a short Prayer he was hang'd drawn and quarter'd and his Quarters brought back to Newgate and sent thence to Bristol which should have been the Scene of his activity in this cursed Tragedy He says in his Paper delivered to the Secretary that asking one Tyly of Bristol What News July 1681 he told him All naught and if some speedy course be not taken we shall be all undone for they have got Sheriffs to their minds naming North and Rich who will find Jurors to believe any evidence against a Protestant and so hang up all the Kings friends by degrees He told him also that all the Protestant Gentry naming the Earl of Shaftsbury Lord Howard of Escrick and others were come to a resolution seeing fair means would not do but all things on the Protestant side are misrepresented to the King by such great Criminals and none more in favour than those to take the King from his evil Counsel and that by an Insurrection in London Bristol Taunton Exeter Chester Newcastle York and other places in the North and that there would be a considerable party in Scotland and another in Ireland Mr. West told him there was a designe to take off the King and the Duke coming from Newmarket to prevent bloudshed Holloway dislikes that saying the designe was onely to take the King from his evil Counsel He calls it a PROTESTANT PLOT He saith to the Sheriff I hope it will be a satisfaction that there was a Plot. Again I pray God that no other people may concern themselves with Publick affairs out of their own way and that the Scriblers might be put down for they do more to the Kingdom than any thing else Which was both the beginning and end of his discourse with the Sheriffs And he begins his Paper left with the Sheriffs with exclaiming against Pamphleteers and News-Scriblers And afterwards And did by some Scriblers and News-mongers constantly know most publick affairs which they undertook to represent according to their own humour He declares his hearty sorrow for yielding thereto or acting therein being satisfied it might have caused very much bloudshed in the Nation He concludes I repent not my Confession and could I discover more would do it throughly though I find not mercy with man On Thursday Feb. 14. 1684. Sir Samuel Bernardiston was Tryed and Convicted for High Misdemeanour at the Sessions of Nisi Prius holden at Guild-hall London It was upon an Information exhibited by the Attorney-General wherein is set forth That there having been lately a horrid Plot discovered Sir Samuel Bernardiston intending to scandalize the Evidence wrote a Letter containing these Sentences The return of the Duke of Monmouth to White-hall and his being received into extraordinary Favour of his Majesty hath made a strange alteration of affairs at Court for those that before spake of him very indecently now court cringe and creep to him His Grace complained to the King of the scandalous misrepresentation that was made of him in the Mondays Gazette upon which the Gazetter was called to account for it who alleadged for himself that a Person of great Quality sent him in writing the words therein recited commanding him to put them in the Gazette Testerday being the last day of the Term all the Prisoners that were in the Tower upon the late Sham Protestant Plot were discharged upon Bail Mr. Braddon who prosecuted the Murder of the Earl of Essex the Information put in against him in the Kings-Bench by Mr. Attorney for a pretended Subornation c. was not prosecuted and his Bail was discharged And the passing Sentence upon the Author of Julian the Apostate and the Printer of the late Lord Russel's Speech was passed over with silence Great applications are made to his Majesty for the pardoning Mr. Sidney in the Tower which is believed will be attained and that he will be banished The Lord Howard appears despicable in the eyes of all men he is under guard at White-hall and