you afforded us Yet these Villains hardned in Impiety were not hereby discouraged from pursueing the same Bloody Design but Resolved to Travel forward therein till they reach'd the outmost step to effect the same and proposed with themselves that it might be done either in His Majesties passing from Windsor to Hampton-Court or in His then intended Journey to Winchester or when He should go by Water in His Barge or under Bedford-Garden-Wall in Covent-Garden when He should pass that way or at the Bull-Feast which was then shortly after intended in Red-Lyon-Fields they being informed His Majesty and Royal Highness would be there And that they might be the better prepared when the occasion should offer it self by having a certain Number of Arms lying always ready for that purpose Arms were bespoke for Forty Men in all hast viz. Thirty Carbines with Belts and Swivels Thirty Cases of Pistols and Ten Blunderbusses which were accordingly made and paid for And for their more easie drawing their Party together against the time of Execution they contrived to divide the Cities of London and Westminster and the Suburbs into Twenty parts from each of which they expected Five Hundred Men to be ready on the first Onset and some Agitators were to give an Account of Men to be furnished in each Division and give out Orders to them as there should be occasion And to the end the Forces they should Raise might be the sooner Modeled into the Form of an Army there were a Hundred old Officers who had been Engaged in the late Rebellion thereby the better fitted for this ready in Town to take the Command of them in the pursuit of which Desperate Cruel and Ineterate Projects they continued till they knew that Discovery had been made thereof to His Majesty During all which time the other more principal Conspirators were not unemployed but carried or managed their other Design for a general Insurrection in both Kingdoms and the late Earl of Shaftsbury who had at first pressed them to a sudden Insurrection which he would have had to have been before or at least on the 17th of November being the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth when People generally gave themselves the Liberty of Solemnizing the same in Extraordinary Crouds and on that Account would be less suspected and the sooner Raised sent to the rest of the Conspirators at a Meeting appointed by them to know their Resolution and finding them either timorous or unprepared to Venture upon the same Conveyed himself with some others of his Crew secretly into Holland to avoid the Danger he might be in by a Discovery the greatest piece of Policy perhaps that ever that said Earl tho a Famed Machiavel ever in his Life was to be Esteemed for but his thus withdrawing himself from their Councels did not discourage them from pursueing their Pernicious Infernal Designs tho it made them a little more Cautious whereupon a New Councel was appointed of Six Persons that were to have the Chief Management of Affairs in order to the aforesaid Insurrection by a Correspondency with their Party in Scotland and the several parts of this Kingdom and because an Intercourse of Letters was thought dangerous it was held necessary that some Person should be Intrusted with a Message into Scotland to Invite the Heads of the Disaffected Party there to come hither under pretence of Purchasing Lands in Carolina but in truth to Concert with them the best Means for carrying on the Design Jointly in both Kingdoms and a Treaty was thereupon had with Archbold Cambell late Earl of Argile who then stood Attainted of High Treason and had made his Escape from Justice who Demanded 30000l at first but afterwards Agreed to Accept of 10000l for Buying of Arms in Holland and making other Provisions previous to the said Rebellion in Scotland in which said Councel of Six several Debates were managed As whether the Rising in this Kingdom should be first in the City of London where by reason of the vast Number of the Disaffected that might readily Unite they might easily Master the Guards or rather in some Remote Parts whereby His Majesty would be under a necessity of sending His said Guards to Suppress them and thereby the Rising in the said City would become more Secure and Effectual but at last it came to this Resolution as most convenient That it should be in all parts at the same time least the City might be Defended by the Militia thereof without help of the Guards which might be sent for Suppressing any Insurrection in the Countrey to which they all Consented and disposed themselves for Compassing the said Design which was very near taking Effect just as the same by the Mercy of the Almighty on the 12th of June 1683. came to a Discovery by the Confession of Mr. Keeling who greatly troubled at his Concernt herein being one of those who should have been Employed in the Assassination mentioned thought he did very ill in not discovering the same in so much that he had no Peace Satisfaction or Content nor could he mind his Business or take that Rest that at other times he was wont Ruminating with himself that if it were a Sin in David to Cut off the Hem of Saul's Garment much more would the same have been in him to have Murdered so Good and Gracious a King Which the said Conspirators coming to hear of they began each of them to shift for their Safety and met about the same at the Lodgings of Captain Walcot since Executed very early on the Monday Morning following where some of them having Hired a Boat to whom they had given Five Pounds in Earnest intended for Holland whilst others lingred about the Town and particularly Rumbald who having got this Keeling to a Tavorn began to Charge him as a Discoverer which he was forced by several Imprecations to deny or he had never been suffered to have gone thence Alive This Grand Design coming thus to the Knowledg of His Majesty and Council Warrants were forthwith Issued out against several of the Conspirators as particularly J. D. of M. the Lord Melvin Sir Jokn Cockrane Sir Thomas Armstrong Robert Ferguson who was the common Agitator and Intrusted by all Parties in the several Conspiracies Richard and Francis Good enough Richard Rumbald William Rumbald Richard Nâ—lthrope Nathaniel Wade William Thompson James Burton Joseph Elby Samuel Gibbs Francis Charleton Joseph Tiley Mr. Casteers and Mr. Loâ—â— both Non-Con-Preachers Edward Norton John Row John Ayloff and John Atherton but these too soon warned by the quick Monitions of a Guilty Conscience had made their Escapes from the Hand of Justice which in due time is more then probable will be too swift for such Wretched Criminals besides these Ford Lord Gray being Apprehended and Examined before His Majesty in Council was Committed to the Tower but in his way thither got from the Custody of the Serjeant at Arms and made his Escape and Arthur Earl of Essex being likewise
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
Carbines Eighteen Inches and Thirty Cases of Pistols Fourteen Inches That he was put upon it to Buy the same the rather for that he had a Plantation in America and might have on that Account a Pretence but Mr. Ferguson was to pay the Money which in some great time afterwards he did saying he had but just then received the same and paid him Ninety Three Guineas which he supposed the Moneys of Mr. Charleton That in Case this Assassination had gone on it was Designed the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs should be Killed and as many of the Lieutenancy as they could get and the Principal Ministers of State my Lord Hallifax my Lord Rochester my Lord Keeper and that they would Hang him on the said Tree that Colledge had Hung Sir John Moore was to be Killed and to be Hung up in Guild-Hall as a Betrayer of the Rights and Liberties of the City and the then Lord Chief Justice Pemberton Fleyd and Hung up in Westminster-Hall with a great many of the Pentional Parliament as Betrayers of the Peoples Rights That the Prisoner was sometimes by at these Discourses That Mr. Ferguson Declared he had told some Nonconformists and they desired him to forbear but adds he They are Silly People and do not know how to distinguish between Killing a Prince for difference in Religion and Destroying a Tyrant for Preservation of the Right and Liberties of the People That it was an Action would make all the Kings in the World Tremble and Teach them to use their Subjects Kindly That it was the Design at the same time the Mayor and Sheriffs were to be Killed that Mr. Papillion and Mr. Dubois should be forced to take the Sherievalty on them and if they refused it they should be used as others and that Sir Thomas Gold Sir John Shorter Alderman Cornish should be set up for Mayor but rather the last as the fittest Person That the Kings Natural Sons were good Lusty Lads and it would do well to keep them for Porters and Watermen and my Lady Ann should be Married to some Countrey Gentleman for a Breed to keep out Foreign Pretences I have been something larger in the Repetition of this Evidence then was at first intended but the same being so material to Prove the Horridness of the most Barbarous part of the Design it self as well as that Concern which the Prisoner had therein and on which his Fate depended that I hope the Reader will Excuse me and from the whole Consider with himself That nothing less then the Watchful Eye of Heaven could possibly have Guarded His Sacred Majesty from the several Attempts so often renewed against him by this Malevolent Party Set on and Encouraged by the Cant and Hypocritical Zeal of a Scotch Whig Whose only Design it was to Murder His Royal Person and overthrow the Government because not Squared to his Precise and Rebellious Measures But to return to my Subject The Evidence abovesaid so plainly and palpably made out did admit of no Plea nor Excuse in the Wretched Prisoner nor indeed could he have any Face to deny the same there being besides this a Letter that was intercepted under his own Hand to the Secretary of State wherein he doth as much as plainly Confess the same Acknowledging it as his first Crime and that his Life was at the Kings Mercy and that if his Death would do Him more Service he was willing to Surrender it That if His Majesty would admit him to Come in use Mercy he would tell all he knew concerning England Scotland and Ireland which he thought would be more material then any other Discoverer could Tell Which plainly shews that he had a deeper Hand in this Mischief then any of those that had given Evidence against him Upon the whole when my Lord Chief Justice came to Sum up the Evidence having taken Notice of the Material Passages aforesaid and given his Directions to the Jury they Brought him in deservedly Guilty of the Indictment The next in order who came to Tryal for the aforesaid Treasons was William Hone a Joyner with whom in short I shall no further trouble the Reader then his own Confession That he was drawn in by Mr. Goodenough and was one of those that was to Murder His Majesty and his Royal Highness whose Names they Disguised under that of the Blackbird and Goldfinch Nor shall I much Enlarge the Bulk of these Sheets with that of John Rouse who could not deny his Concern in the Treasons aforesaid tho his Post was something of another Nature then the Two former which I shall forthwith give you some Account of begging leave only to take Notice of the Justice of Heaven which now overtook this Miserable Wretch he having been too long known in the Government for a most Malitious Disturber of it and had once before been brought to the Bar for High Treason at a Time as Sir George Jeffries our present worthy Lord Chief Justice then took Notice of When the Common Justice of the Nation could not be Obtained in that place insomuch that the Judges who came to Execute Justice had more reason to fear being Executed upon the Bench then the Prisoner at the Bar. To proceed This Gentleman was to take Care to Manage a Party of Men who were to take the Tower of London and the Evidence against him were first Mr. Lee who Testified That Mr. Goodenough having Acquainted him that there was an Apprehension that the Rights and Priviledges of the Nation were Invaded and that it was time to look to themselves for Popery was Designed and Arbitrary Power and Asked him whether he would Engage in that Affair to prevent it and withal that the City was to be divided as is before mentioned and desired to know whether he would Engage in one part of it He Answered His Acquaintance was not where he Lived but he would get a part where he was known and afterward told Mr. Rouse of this as also that Mr. Goodenough had further informed him the Design was to Set up the D. of Monmouth and Kill the King and Duke of York but that all Parties must not know of it and the People should be only Acquainted there was like to be a Foreign Invasion c. and if they seemed ready complyant therein to Assist then to discourse them nearer That Mr. Rouse told him he had before known it and that he would provide Arms for 100 Men and that nothing was to be done unless the King was seized adding That he remembred since 41 the King went and set up his Standard but that he was then for seizing him not taking his Blood and that 't was a convenient thing for a Ball to be playd upon Black-heath and to that end that several Sea-Captains should be spoken to that he himself had ingaged Ten and that the Affair should be managed that he that won should take it that when they had so done every Captain should take his
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
proper to begin in London or in the Country or both at one Instant To which it was said in the Country the Duke of Monmouth giving it as a Reason that it was impossible by a rude Rabble hastily got together to oppose a Formed Methodiz'd and well Governed Force and therefore whatsoever Numbers could be gathered in the City would be quickly suppressed before they could Form themselves that in the Country they might without the same fear they would be here Subject to and that being likewise remote from Town it would put the King on the Dilemma that he must send his Forces to Reduce them or not if he did the City was left nake would give them opportunity to Rise and come back upon the Kings Forces if not they might have time to form their Numbers and be better ordered it was further considered what Arms was necessary to be got and how disposed what Towns were most disposed to Action that it would be necessary to have a Common Bank of 25 or 30000l to answer the occasions of such an undertaking but the last and greatest was to draw in Scotland to consent with them which at the next meeting the same Persons being all Six there where at my Lord Russel's own House it was resolved some Persons should be sent to my Lord Argyle to settle an understanding with him and others to Scotland to invite some Persons hither who best understood the State and could give Account thereof the Persons agrreed were Sir John Cockram Lord Melvill and one Campbell and accordingly Aaron Smith was agreed to be sent and Colonel Sidney to take Care of the Affairs This was the Tenour of my Lord Howards Evidence which together with what was before repeated was the sum of what was proved against the Prisoner to which his Exceptions were first in general against the Evidence for that they were concerned in this matter by their own shewing and then particularly against my Lord Howard that before he came as a Witness against him he had declared to the Earl of Bedford in the hearing of my Lord Anglesey who Testified the same in the behalf of the Prisoner that the said Earl had a wise Son and a worthy Person one that could not be in such a Plot as the same was or suspected for it and that his Lordship might expect a good Issue in that Affair his Son being then Committed and that concerning him he knew nothing against him or any Body else The same words at another time spoken or the like Effect were Testified against him by Mr. Howard and Dr. Burnet to the same Purpose only adding some Imprecations his Lordship had made to confirm what he saâ—d to which objection my Lord Howard replyed That the Circumstances he was under obliged him to outface the matter Several other Witnesses were brought to prove the Prisoners Reputation and Sobriety of Life but the Evidence was so plain and undeniable against him and the Consequence so great that all good Men abhorred his Crime at the same time they had Compassion on his Circumstances and even then when by their Oaths and Consciences the Jury were bound to find him Guilty they pittied his Misfortunes I now proceed to the Tryal of Collonel Algernoon Sidney which tho the same doth not fall in order of time yet its necessary to give the Account thereof it being the close of the Evidence touching the main Plot who came to be Arraigned the 17th of November last and Tryed the 21th wherein I shall pretermit all such Testimony as was given in general and which is before touched previous to what most concerned him by West Rumsey and Keeling as also the former and introductory part of what my Lord Howard Testified which I have taken notice of in the preceeding Pages That which cheifly concerned the Prisoner was the two Meetings and Consultations afore mentioned at Mr. Hambdens and my Lord Russel's as also the business of Scotland debated in the latter to which Colonel Sidney propounded that he would take Care of the Person and that he had one in his thoughts and named Aaron Smith who was look't on as a Proper Person and was accordingly sent by him as he himself told the Lord Howard and that he gave him about 60 Guineys to supply his Charges and had received a Letter from him on his way to Newcastle A Second part of the Evidence against the prisoner were several Papers found in his House which were by three Witnesses proved to be of his own hand writing by Persons that were conversant with the same in which Papers there was a continued Thread of Argument laid down not in one single Proposition but a whole Series of Reasoning in which were these Positions That the King derives all his Power from the People That 't is Originally in the People and that the measure of Subjection must be Judged ly the Parliament and if the King does fall from doing his Duty the People will exact it And this he lays down as no ways prejudecial to him for says he The King may refuse the Crown if he do not like it on these Terms But if he does accept it he must expect the performance will be exacted or revenge taken by those he hath betrayed then he sets up an Objection and argues against it Ay! but shall the People Judg in their own Cause which he thus Answers it must be so for is not the King a Judg in his own Cause How can any Man else be tryed and Convicted of any Offence if the King may not be Judg in his own Cause for to Judg by a Mans self or his Deputy is the same thing and so a Crime against the King cannot be Punished and then he takes notice of it as a very absur'd Position the King should Judg in his own Cause and not the People That would be to say the Servant entertained by the Master should Judg the Master but the Master shall not Judg the Servant and after this sort of Argument he comes to this setled Position We may therefore says he change or take away Kings without breaking any Yoke or tho 't is made a Yoke the injury therefore is in imposing the Yoke and there can be none at all in breaking it But he goes on in the said Papers by way of Answer to an Objection that if there be no Injury yet there may be an Inconvenience if the beadless multitude should shake off the Yoke But says he I would fain know how the Multitude comes to be headless and there gives you instances in story and from Foreign Nations comes home to the English and tells you how all Rebellions in latter Ages have been headed and tells you the Parliament is the Head or the Nobility and Gentry that Compose it and when the King fails of his Duty the People may call it the Multitude therefore is never headless but they either find or create a Head so that upon the whole
Algernoone Sidney who made his last Exit from the Theatre of Life on a Scaffold on Tower-Hill the Seventh of December then next following from whom Considering the Principles he had Imbibed it was no Wonder to hear him Exalt therein and look upon the same rather as the Honourable Trophies of Martyrdom then the Ignominious Brands of Disgrace and Punishment which the Almighty in his own time Visited him with I Die says he Glorifying Thee O Lord 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 have been from my Youth Engaged and for which Thou hast often and Wonderfully Declared Thy Self Ingenious Confession This Gentleman tells you what 's the Cause he Suffers in he speaks it plainly and Blushes not to own its Truth 't was the Cause the Old Cause in which from his Youth he had been Trained up 't was not a New thing a Start Up Opinion an Enthusiastick Frenzy That it was lawful to Plot against to Dethrone Imprison Mock Disgrace and at last to Murder the Best of Monarchs this he had been before Honourably Concerned in and this was the Cause he Gloryed of The same that Cost the Nation so dear a Price that was Fostered at no less Rate then the Blood of Thousands and Ten Thousands of our Country-Men that divided our Families made the Brothers Bosom a Sheath for the Brothers Sword and the Fathers Breast a Battery against the Sons Shot That left our Wives Widows and Children Orphans and yet this was the Cause he Triumphed in and this was made by him no less then the Shibboleth of God and the Blood and Desolation aforesaid the Miraculous Work of the Almighty Hand and the distinguishing Declaration of Heaven it self In this Cause says he Bless thy People and Save them that shall own it Defend them that Defend it Let thy Shield of Protection be held over the Heads of Traytors and Rebels to their Prince and Government Stir up such as are Faint that they may take Courage in Evil. Direct those that are Willing to go through with the Plots and Conspiracies of Treason and Desolation Confirm those that Waver that they fling aside the Burthens of a Conscious Breast and go on steadily in the Roads of Rebellion that thy Name may be Glorified that our Kings may be Bound in Chains and our Nobles in Fetters of Iron Then this what can such Cant otherwise signifie and is it thus to Die a Christian where 's the Forgiveness we owe our Enemies can that Man regard the Peace Quiet or Government of his Country Who in a Sense Petitions for its Confusion Articulo mortis when his last breath is taking its final farewel of his Condemned and Suffering Carcase at that time to pray to God to defend and strengthen those that own and defend the Cause of Treason such was that Cause he Dyed in and such who well wisht and abetted the same the only Persons he thought worthy of his last Orations Monstrous and Insufferable Impudence to Outface Heaven and Vie as it were with the Almighty on no better Grounds then if he should have said The Magistrates thou hast placed over me and Injoyned me to Obey I have Rebelled against and Glory that I have so done Thy Laws I have broken and Rejoyce in an Honourable Martyrdom for the same If this be the Character of a true Protestant Dissenter Heaven Defend us and all good Christians from such Antichristian Antimonarchichal and equally as bad if not worse than the worst of Jesuitical Principles It is but Reason therefore that we lay by our Animosities in some measure against them and Debate with our nearer and more dangerous Enemies who like the Frogs of Aegypt Infest our Dwellings in such numerous and increasing Multitudes that no part of the Land is free from them I wish I had not Cause to say thus much but in this Case who can be Silent The Dumb Child spake when he saw the lifted Sword at his Fathers Breast and high time is it for all Loyal and Ingenious Men to deter those Principles that Justifie such Parricidial and Criminal Tenets And yet as if we were a People so Stupified that nothing could work upon us Has it not been the Endeavour of too many who would Assume the Names and Titles of His Majesties and the Nations best Friends to drive us on to further Ruin and Confusion That I do not speak this without a Sad and Lamentable tho truly Just Ground let us proceed to Examine since the said Horrid Conspiracy was Miraculously Detected what it is the said Party hath been doing and how they have Employed themselves And here it might have been Expected that in one Body with one Assent they should have Prostrated themselves at the Feet of His Offended Majesty to Beg His Gracious Pardon for their Crimes or at least if they had been Innocent to have Publickly Testified their Abhorrence and Dislike against such who had been under Worse and more Criminal Circumstances But instead hereof Observe how Restless and Unquiet how Concerned and Sollicitous they have been to Evade the Guilt thereof and lay the ill-gotten Brat at the Door of the Government as a Bastard of State a Policy of our Superiours to induce their own Ends and in their own words a Sham Plot and no more As a Proof whereof look over the Tryal of Sir Samuel Barnadiston where in one of his Letters The Papists says he are 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 Russell is afresh Lamented The Plot is lest here except you in the Country can find it out amongst the Addressors and Abhorrers with many the like Expressions And can there be any thing more plainly Malitious more openly and execrably Envious then what is contained in these Libellous and Contrived Lies Lies that reflect so immediately on the Government both of Church and State as nothing could possibly have been Invented worse of either Here 's Popery and Murder in the highest degree charged on both His Majesty is traduced as if he were so easie to be prevailed upon to do things to destroy his own Subjects and like their own Party in the late Times by Forms and Methods of Mock Justice The Judges are Calumniated as Regardless of their Oaths in Condemning the Innocent The Traytor Acquitted and the Law Arraigned the Criminal Sainted and the Courts of Justice Exploded Vilified and set at nought and all this under the Umbrage of Zeal for the Publick Good Excellent Tenets and becoming an Ignoramus Impudence Heaven defend us where is 't we live amongst Heathens or Mahumetans we should find more Loyalty and Honour Nay give me leave to say That these Seditious Lies were not only directly and