York and setting up Monmouth That Mr. Goodenough then brought an Account of 3 or 4000 Men out of those Divisions he had an Account of That at another time Captain Walcot being present 't was Discoursed To have Seized my Lord Mayor and Sheriffs and some of the Aldermen and Chief Ministers of State about Town That the Saturday before the Discovery he met at Captain Tracies and Monday afterwards at Captain Walcots where Ferguson Goodenough West and Norton were present but nothing was concluded he leaving them on the Debate of Killing Keeling Thus much Mr. Bourne Mr. West's Evidence was That he came Acquainted with the Captain the last Summer Vacation that the Captain told him That there was a Design of an Insurrection to be made in Three Weeks or a Month and that he did not know whether he should be concerned but that my Lord Shaftsbury was Engaged therein and that he had an Expectation of being a Collonel of Horse and Asked him If he would have any Command under him That the said Lord had another Design on the King and the Duke as they came from Newmarket in October then last but withal that he Abhorred any such thing that it was ungenerous and he would be concerned no further then the general Rising and Asked him to lend him a Suite of Silk-Armor and desired him to bespeak him a good strong Tuck but the said Designs being put off as he understood by means of Mr. Trenchard who had discoursed of what Forces he could Raise in the West But when the Duke of Monmouth sent for him his Heart failed him and he declaring it my Lord Grey called him Coxcomb this was about the 17th of November That Captain Walcot told him Mr. Ferguson had the Conduct of the Assassination in October and that he was acquainted with the Insurrection and was a great Man in it That he met Mr. Ferguson who entertained him with a long Discourse of the Miseries of Scotland and that the People were in Slavery and Bondage and would be so here if they did not free themselves to which there were Two ways One a general Insurrection but that was gone off the other the Killing the King and the Duke which was the more Compendious and added that he supposed the same was best and proposed to meet at his Chamber as a place of privacy to Treat of the same they met accordingly at his Chamber and Ferguson proposed several ways of doing it One as the King and Duke had their private Meetings at St. James's where it was an easie thing for a Swords-Man to do it That Mr. Ferguson and the Captain both told him There was a Design to have done it at my Lord Mayors Feast in the Hall or on their Return in St. Pauls-Church-Yard or at Ludgate but the King not Dining there it was disappointed another way was proposed that they might do it as the King and Duke went down the River lying behind some small Ship in a Hoy or some such thing and so over-run their Barge or if that failed to break a Plank with their Blunderbusses and so Sink it another way at the Play-House where Forty or Fifty Men should be placed in the Pit with Pocket or Hand Blunderbusses Pistols and Swords and when the Musick struck up between the Acts to Fire on the Box but this was held hazardous and therefore they thought it better to do it as he came back under Bedford-Garden-Wall because there was a Convenience for a great many Men to walk in the Piazzas and another parcel of Men might be placed in Covent-Garden-Church-Porch and within the Bails where Horses could not come That this was before Mr. Ferguson went for Holland with my Lord Shaftsbury and Captain Walcot That in the mean time he met Collonel Rumsey very often but nothing was agreed till they sent for Mr. Ferguson back upon whose Arrival there was a Meeting at the Five Bells Tavern and several times afterwards at his Chamber where Ferguson Goodenough and Rumbald undertook to provide the Men for the Assassination whereupon Debates were had whether it should be done as His Majesty went or came To the first it was Objected that the Guards were left here and there and they went together but very often return'd apart and nothing being prepared it was Resolved as he came back That it was then Considered what Arms should be provided and the matter lest to Mr. Rumbald and he was to provide Blunderbusses Carbines and Pistols That several Meetings were had where they brought and conferred Notes about the Men whose Names as he remembred were amongst others Keeling Burton and Hone and as he thought one Manning That afterwards he Asked Mr. Ferguson what provision of Money he had made To which he Answered That when the Men were ready he should have Money and not before for that Money being before Raised it was put into the Hands of One who never returned it and that my Lord Shaftsbury did often Complain of that Abuse That it was Debated how these Arms should be Conveyed to Rumbald's House and proposed the same might be sent down in Chests in SmithfieldCarts or by Trusty Water-men who were to Cover them with Oysters others that Men should carry them but no way Resolved And then it came to be Debated how they should get off and how manage the same some were to fall on the Postilion and Horses others on the Coach a Third Party under Captain Walcot which he ndertook who should fall on the Guards That Rumbald undertook to Bring them off and that there was a Gate he would shut on the Horse Guards and they might when the thing was done avoid the Road-ways but come over the Meadows by Hackney-Marsh but Captain Walcot thought it better to Retire within his Wall and there keep till Night it being a place they could against any Force Defend for a Days time That Captain Walcot told him In Case of an Assassination or Insurrection my Lord Shaftsbury had prepared a Declaration and would have had him done the like saying That he would have several People do the same to pick one good out of all of them and said That he had some Collections himself towards it and shewed him a Paper in which was Observations of all the Passages in the Three Kings Reigns King James King Charles the First and this King which he called Attempts to bring in Arbitrary Government and Popery and concluded Taxing them with some Personal Vices and that the Government was Dissolved and they free to Settle another in its stead That when the News of the Fire came they Adjournd to his Chamber and Considerd what they should do they were not ready nor had no Horses so that the same was laid aside That it was afterwards Agreed at another Meeting where the Captain was present Mr. Ferguson Goodenough Norton and one Aylisse that Arms should be Bought the Number were Ten Blunderbusses Twenty Two Inches in the Barrel Thirty
Committed to the said place for the Treasons aforesaid whether under a Sense of his own Guilt or the Utter Despair of his Royal Master and Benefactor 's Mercy whom he had so highly wronged prevented the Sentence of the Law and laid Murdrous Hands on his Life by Cutting his own Throat several others were taken and Committed amongst whom the Lord William Russell Algernoone Sidney Esq Thomas Walcot John Rouse and William Hone whose Cases we now come more particularly to Treat of which is the Second part of that Method I proposed and wherein I shall Glean only what was materially Witnessed against them and is proper for the further parts of this History whereby the way and from what has been before said I would entreat the Reader to take Notice that there were Two several Designs on foot the one The Murther of the King and the Utter Destruction of the Government in which the Three latter were concerned the other Singly against the Government in which was the Two first But these Two like Sister-Springs rose both from one of the same Corrupt Fountain and tho the Channels in which they wandred were for sometime different yet at last they were both designed to Meet and Embrace each other in the wide Ocean of Anarchy and Confusion At the Tryal of Captain Walcot the 12th of July 1683. for the said Treasons Evidence was given by Collonel Rumsey to the following Purport That about the latter end of October or the beginning of November he was with the late Earl of Shaftsbury who acquainted him the D. of M. the Lord Russell Lord Grey and Sir Thomas Armstrong were at Mr. Shepheards the Merchants House to whom he desired him to go and know what they had done about the Raising Arms at Taunton who Answered him when he came there to them That Mr. Trenchard had failed them about Men and they could proceed no further at that time which Answer being conveyed to my Lord he said There was no dependance on those Gentlemen and that he would leave England after which a Meeting was had by several of the Conspirators Goodenough Wade and others Captain Walcot being then in Holland where it was proposed No good was to be done by a general Rising but the surest way was taking off the King and the Duke to which End they sent a Letter to Mr. Ferguson without whose Aid they could not carry the same on to Holland who thereupon coming over Captain Walcot came with him on Ashwednesday in February after which several Meetings were had about the same matter wherein it was Concluded at His Majesties coming from Newmarket a Party should Kill the Postilion others the Coach-Horses whilst Rumbald Charged the Coach wherein His Majesty and Royal Highness were to be and Walcot the Guards to which End they were to meet at Hokesdon aforesaid and in Case their Blunderbusses mist they were by their Swords to finish the same But this was put off on the Kings unexpected return thence on occasion of the Fire their Men being unprepared tho the same was laboured in by Mr. Ferguson and Captain Walcot undertook to go down and ask But this Design being then for that time prevented they Agreed to Raise Money to provide Arms Captain Walcot being present Mr. West undertook the Arms Mr. Ferguson the Money Goodenough and Rumbald to provide Men for the like intent against His Majesties Person as He came from Windsor to Hampton-Court or at the Play-House as opportunity should serve and a general Rising was intended to which end the City was to be divided into several parts and accounts were taken of the numbers of Men in the several Devisions by Goodenough and others This was the sum of Colonel Rumseys Evidence The next that appeared was Mr. Keeling whose Evidence was That some time before the King went to Newmarket he was at the Sun Tavern with Richard Rumbald and Richard Goodenough c. That Goodenough called him aside and asked him what Men he would procure to go down to Newmarket to Kill the King and the Duke he answered him he thought none But the Question being renewed several other times he had in the mean while some Discourse with one Burton and Thompson Burton told him one Barber would be concerned and Tompson also the Fryday after being the Day which the Fire happen'd in at Newmarket Rumbald came to his House to see those Men he could Procure and the next day he met him and asked whether they were willing to go down to the Rye meaning his House there being as he said no better convenience for the Design then that in England it being a House intire to it self and very remote from Neighbours besides the Advantage of a Court or Wall using this as an Argument to prevail with those Persons That it would be keeping one of the Commandements in Killing the King and the Duke for if it be not done there will be otherwise a great deal of Blood shed In the Afternoon they met at the Dolphin Tavern in Bartholomew Lane Rumbald West Goodenough and Hone where West asked Rumbald whether he heard the King would come home that Night which he Answered that he did but hoped it would not be till Saturday that being the day appointed to go to Rye to meet the King and Duke But if they should says West hovv many Swan-Quils Goose-Quils Crow-Quils vvith Sand and Ink must you have Six says Rumbald of the first Tvventy the Second and Twenty or Thirty of the last by these Canting Terms did they disguise the Names of Blunderbusses Muskets Pistols Powder and Bullets but vvhat concerned the Prisoner only vvas That he see him at the Salutation-Tavern vvhere there vvas a Discourse by Mr. West concerning the Name of Keeling saying it signified in Dutch Culing and that he vvas their English Culing adding that he hoped to see him at the Head of as good an Army in Wapping as Culing vvas then at Colen This vvas the chief part of Mr. Keelings Evidence only something was added touching Goodenoughs Instructions to try the Temper of some of his Neighbours in those Divisions about him by Questions at a distance such as those In Case of an Insurrection or French Invasion how are you prepared Or whether you would be willing to Join therein Telling him withal In Case the Assassination went forward they would lay the same on the Papists as a Branch of the Popish Plot and that a Declaration was prepared to ease the Cautious People of their Burthens and especially Chimney-Money I proceed next to the Evidence of Zachary Bourne who Testified That he came to be acquainted with Captain Walcot by the means of Mr. Ferguson who was his Lodger and whom the Captain used to Visit that he afterwards met him at the Dragon-Tavern upon Snow-Hill with several others where the Result of the Business was A speedy Design to Raise Men and dividing the City in Twenty Divisions Seizing the King and Duke of
Party and tell them they had other Work and then go with Long Boats and Arms and seize the Tower That Mr. Goodenough was acquainted therewith and approved thereof That Rouse went several times to view the Tower and took one Mate Lee with them which Mate directed them to Traytors Bridg and said it was an easie place and that he would undertake to do it with a 100 Men provided they had but Hand Granadoes That Mr. Rouse met in this Business with 2 Sea-Captains whom he said was to be Two of the Undertakers and that they were willing thereunto That Mr. Rouse was afterwards of Opinion for taking off the King and Duke both for then said he there 's no Man can have a Commission to fight for them and that he had been a Traveller and presumed to say That the King was Sworn in France and Spain to bring in Popery and Arbitrary Government in so many Years and therefore it was no Sin to take him off adding that he had it under his own Hand Mate Lee Testified That Mr. Rouse Asked him if he could not get some Seamen fit to make Commanders of Ships for says he with the Guard Ships at Deptford we must Secure the Tower and Whitehall both or we do nothing And besides this One Thomas Corbin Testified Tho the same did not more Affect the Prisoner then to show the Temper of the Villain That before the Oxford Parliament the said Mr. Rouse said he did foresee the same would be but a short Sessions but these frequent Dissolutions and Prorogations of Parliaments adds he will not avail the King for whatever he hath the Parliament had given him and might take it away when they pleased at which a Stander by bid him have a care what he said he replyed the King had forfeited His Crown and had no more Right to it then he had To all which Evidence against him the Prisoner he had no more to offer for himself but that as to the first Witness the Words that he Testified against him were not really said by him but first mentioned by the said Lee to him of all which he had not least matter of proof besides his own Assertion and indeed these matters did so Quadrate and Correspond with the Temper of the Prisoner that they were the more readily receptive of Credit which was made plain in the Corroborating Evidence of Corbin before mentioned so that the Jury presently gave in their Verdict of his Guilt And thus I have gone thro as intended the first and most Tremendous part of this Conspiracy which I shall Sum up in the Words of the late Lord Chief Justice now Sir Francis Pemberton at the end of Walcot 's Tryal This Design says he hath gone into other of the Kings Dominions and is to be feared is larger then the King knows 'T is time to Nip these Treasons when they are gone so far surely a more Barbarous was never thought of by Mankind We have had certainly as many Engagements to the King as any Subjects ever had to any Prince whatsoever He hath done as many Acts of Grace We have Lived as Peaceably as any People under a Prince can ever expect to do He hath shewed Himself with as much Kindness with as much Lenity even to His very Enemies as any Prince that we ever Read of The Preservation of our Religion and the Laws of the Kingdom our Laws and Libertees and all our Happiness depend as much upon His Life as they ever did upon the Life of any Prince or ever can do so that we ought all to be Concerned even to the last drop of our Blood to Preserve Him But how this Mischievous Design should enter into the Hearts of Men to Vndertake to Kill Him in such a Villanous and Barbarous manner may justly make us Astonished Thus far my Lord. Which brings me to the Second Part of this Design wherein the next Unfortunate and ill Advised Gentleman my Lord William Russell was too nearly Concerned who on the 13th of the said Month at the Old Baily aforesaid was Arraigned and Indicted of the same whereupon after his Lordship made a Challenge of the Jury for that they had not Free-hold in which Point his Lordship had his Councel allowed him upon the hearing of whom the Court was of Opinion That the same was no good Challenge in Case of Treason for that they had not Free-hold within the City But satisfied his Lordship that there was no Hardship in the Case the Reason of the Law for Free-holds being only to the Intent that no slight Persons should be upon the Jury where the Life of a Man or his Estate comes in Question But in the City the Persons that are Impanelled are Men of Quality and Estate and have much to lose therefore in Substance his Lordship had as much as if the Challenge had been allowed so that the Jury being called over after Exceptions made against Thirty One of them they proceeded to Read the Indictment and Call the Evidence The first of whom that I may not Interfere with what hath been before taken Notice of were Collonel Rumsey and Mr. Shepheard the substance of whose Testimony was That my Lord Russell was at the House of Mr. Shepheard when Collonel Rumsey brought the Message aforesaid from the Lord Shaftsbury about the Rising at Taunton that he heard the same and Approved of the Answer and that there was a Discourse of seeing what Posture the Guards were in which was to be done by the Duke of Monmouth Lord Gray and Sir Thomas Armstrong thus far Collonel Rumsey That at the same time a Declaration or some Papers purporting as much and setting forth the Grievances of the Nation were there Read by Mr. Ferguson but could not tell whether my Lord heard the same or was by when it was Read but that he was by when they Discoursed of Seizing the Guards so far Mr. Shepheard The next was my Lord Howard whose Testimony as it chiefly concerned the Second Branch of the Plot on which we now insist I shall pursue the same in its several Steps as it was by him Declared viz. That he was Acquainted with Captain Walcot and Introduced him into that of my Lord Shaftsbury where he soon gain'd a Confidence with the said Earl That Captain Walcot came to him and told him that the People were so sensible their Interest was going by the Violence offered to the City in their Elections that they would put a stop to it if possible That there were several Consults and Meetings about it and that they began to put themselves into a Posture to Act some had furnished themselves with good Horses which they kept in secret and blind Stables that divers intended it and he would Imbark in it and having an Estate in Ireland Ordered his Son to turn his Stock into Money to which End he sent his Son thither about August That the Fermentation growing higher and every Day seemd
nearer to Action That afterward going into the Country he received Letters from him wherein in a disguised Cant he gave him Notice that the Negotiation he had with his Correspondents was going on and in good Condition and earnestly desired him to come to Town This was about the middle of September That he came to Town on Michaelmas Day That Captain Walcot Dined with him the next where he told him that my Lord Shaftsbury was withdrawn from his House and tho he had absconded from divers others would willingly speak with him and for that purpose had sent him to him with whom he went and finding my Lord alone my Lord told him That however Innocent he was yet he and all Honest Men were unsafe so long as the Administration of Justice was in such Hands as would Accommodate all things to the Humour of the Court That in the sence hereof he Retired and that he did not doubt Affairs were so ripened and things so prepared but that he would be able by those Men that were in readiness in London to stop the Torrent but complain'd The Design was much retarded by the Deportment of the D. of Monmouth and the Lord Russell who had withdrawn from his Assistance and their own Engagements for that when he had got such a formed Force as he had in London they told him the Country was not prepared to Concur with him which he lookt on as an Excuse and an Instance of their Intentions to desert him That if they would lose the Honour of it he would do it himself To which the Lord Howard Asked him what Forces he had his Answer was he was Assured of Ten Thousand Brisk Boys who would follow him on holding up his Finger and that they would possess themselves of the Gates and these Ten Thousand in Twenty Four Hours would be Multiplied into Fifty Thousand and be able to Sally out and Possess themselves of Whitehall by Beating the Guards That he was certain of the Undertakement but Confessed it a great Disappointment that the Lords had sailed him That he did Consent with some Perswasions that the Witness should speak to those Lords but added He would find they would wave it or give deferring Answers That accordingly my Lord Howard went to the D. of Monmouth and told him the Earls Complaint That the D. told him he thought the Earl Mad and that he was so far from Encouraging him that he told him from the beginning and so did my Lord Russell that there was no good to be done then in the Country That he Asked the D. whether he was willing to Meet who told him with all his Heart That he did go back to my Lord Shaftsbury and told him what the D. had said to which my Lord replyed 't was False and that they were afraid to own it adding he had reason to believe there was some Bargain between the Father and Son to save one another for when he had brought him to Action he could never get him to put on That they had different Prospects that he was for his Personal Interest but his People as he termed them was for a Common-Wealth That an Interview between them would but widen the Breach and that he dared not trust him That his Friends were gone so far they could not retreat for that it was Communicated to so many it would take Air But that their Party was Brisk and that they had a Thousand or Fifteen Hundred Horse who would be able to Scour the Streets and hinder them from Forming a Force against them But no Interview wou'd be admitted only he added that he might let them know what forwardness he was in and that if they would Correspond with him they might or he would go on without them Which Message the Lord Howard carried back to the Duke and at length obtained their Consents to a Meeting which with much adoe the Earl consented to but the time appointed was put off apprehending himself in some Danger That after this he did not see the Earl but heard that my Lord Russell had and that they had put off the Rising for a Fortnight on Condition that those Lords and several others should be prepared to Raise the Country at that time This was told him by the D. of Monmouth who added That they must be now in Action for that there was no holding it off longer and that he had been at Wapping all Night and never saw a Company of Bolder Brisker Fellows in his Life and that he had been round the Tower and seen the Avenues thereof and that it would not be difficult to make themselves Masters thereof in a short time that he thought it would have come to Action but that the Duke afterwards told him the Gentlemen in the Country would not stir hereupon they were in a great hurry and Captain Walcot came several times to him and Discoursed thereof saying It was a Dishonour of the Lords they were backwards to perform their Parts but they resolved notwithstanding to go on and That they were resolved to Rise and believed that a smart Party might perhaps meet with some great Men That he acquainted the Duke herewith and that there was some darke intimation as if there might some attempt be made on the Kings Person at which the Duke in a Passion struck his Breast and cryed out God soe Kill the King I le ne're suffer that and hereupon went to the Playhouse to find out Sir Thomas Armstrong to send him about the City to put it off That the day the King came from Newmarket several of the Conspirators Dined in the City where a Notion was conveyed about that some bold Action would be done that Day and comparing it with the Kings coming home thought it might be upon him That my Lord Grey hereupon swore that if the same was attempted it could not fail but His Majesties safe Arrivel put by the Expectation and what was next Determined was the Rising on the 17th of November But the Proclamation against Bonfires then coming out fearing the same was discovered it was put off all which my Lord Shaftsbury taking notice of took Shipping and went away That afterwards fearing a Discovery the same having so far spread it self it was thought that it would not be safe to retreat and withal considered that an Affair of this Weight consisting of of such infinite particulars it would be very necessary That there should be one general Councel that should take upon them the care of the whole upon these Thoughts a Cabal was Erected amongst themselves which consisted of Six Persons who were the Duke of Monmouth the Earl of Essex the Lord Russel Mr. Hampden Junior Algernoon Sidny Esq and the Lord Howard That about the middle of January all these Parties met at Mr. Hambdens House where it was agreed their Province was to take care of the whole the things to be thereby considered of were agreed to be whether the Insurrection was most