to Dover and had his Pacquet with me which Pacquet when I came to St. Omers I opened The out-side sheet of this Paper was a Letter of news which was called Mr. Coleman's Letter and at the bottome of this Letter there was this Recommendation Pray Recommend me to my Kinsman Playford In this Letter of news there were expressions of the King calling him Tyrant and that the Marriage between the Prince of Orange and the Lady Mary the Duke of York's Eldest Daughter would prove the Traytour's and Tyrant's ruine Lord Ch. Just In what language was it written Mr. Oats In plain English words at length Lord Ch. Just Directed to whom Mr. Oats It was directed to the Rectour of St. Omers to give him intelligence how affairs went in England Lord Ch. Just Did you break it open Mr. Oates I was at the opening of it and saw it and read it There was a Letter to Father Lechees which was superscribed by the same hand that the treasonable Letter of news was written and the same hand that the recommendation to Playford was written in When this Letter was open there was a Seal fixt a flying Seal and no mans Name to it Lord Ch. Just What was the Contents of that Letter to Lechees Mr. Oates My Lord to give you an account of the import of this Letter it was writ in Latine and in it there were thanks given to Father Lechees for the Ten Thousand Pounds which was given for the propagation of the Catholick Religion and that it should be imployed for no other intent and purpose but that for which it was sent now that was to cut off the King of England those words were not in that Letter but Lechees Letter to which this was an Answer I saw and read It was dated the Month of August and as near as I remember there was this instruction in it That the Ten Thousand Pound should be employed for no other intent and purpose but to cut off the King of England I do not swear the words but that 's the sense and substance I believe I may swear the words Lord Ch. Just To whom was that directed Mr. Oates To one Strange that was then Provincial of the Society in London which Mr. Coleman answered Lord Ch. Just How came Mr. Coleman to answer it Mr. Oates Strange having run a Reed into his Finger had wounded his Hand and Secretary Mico was ill so he got Mr. Coleman to write an Answer unto it Lord Ch. Just Did he write it as from himself Mr. Oates Yes by order of the Provincial Lord Ch. Just What was the substance of that Answer Mr. Oates That thanks was given to him in the Name of the whole Society for the Ten Thousand Pound which was paid and received here and that it should be employed to the intent for which it was received It was superscribed from Mr. Coleman Lord Ch. Just Was it subscribed Coleman Mr. Oates It was not subscribed I did not see him write it but I really believe it was by the same hand I went and delivered this Letter Lord Ch. Just I understood you because of the accident of his Hand he had employed Mr. Coleman to write this for him Mr. Oates He did write this Letter then the Body of the Letter was written by Mr. Coleman I did not see him write it but I shall give an account how I can prove he wrote it I delivered this Letter to Lechees his own hand When I opened the Letter he asked me how a Gentleman naming a French name did doe Lord Ch. Just When you carried this Letter you carried it to Lechees and delivered it to him then he asked you of the Gentleman of the French name whom meant he by that name Mr. Oates I understood it to be Mr. Coleman Lord Ch. Just Did he know him by some French name What said you Mr. Oates I could say little to this Lord Ch. Just Could you guess whom he meant Mr. Oates He told me he was sometime Secretary to the Dutchess of York which I understood to be Mr. Coleman I stuck at it and when he said he was sometime Secretary to the Dutchess of York I spoke in Latine to him and asked whether he meant Mr. Coleman and his Answer I cannot remember He sends an Answer to this Letter I brought it to St. Omers and there it was inclosed in the Letter from the Society to Coleman wherein the Society expresly told him this Letter was delivered and acknowledged I saw the Letter at St. Omers and the Letter was sent to him Mr. Coleman did acknowledge the Receit of this Letter from Lechees in the same hand with that of the News Letter and so it was understood by all I saw it Lord Ch. Just How came you to see it Mr. Oates I by a Patent from them was of the Consult Lord Ch. Just You saw the Letter of the same hand which the News Letter was of with Mr. Coleman's name subscribed Mr. Oates The contents of the Letter did own the Letter from Lechees was received this Letter was presumed to be the Hand-writing of Mr. Coleman and it was understood to be Mr. Coleman's Letter Lord Ch. Just You say the Letter was thanks for the Ten Thousand Pound what was the other Contents Mr. Oates That all endeavours should be used to cut off the Protestant Religion Root and Branch Lord Ch. Just You say you delivered this Letter from whom had you it Mr. Oates From Fenwick it was left in his hand and he accompanied me from Groves to the Coach and gave it to me Lord Ch. Just Did you hear him speak to Mr. Coleman to write for him Mr. Oates Strange told me he had spoke to him Lord Ch. Just He doth suppose it was Mr. Coleman's hand because it was just the same hand that the News Letter was Are you sure the Letter was of his hand Mr. Oates It was taken for his hand Just Wild. Had he such a Kinsman there Mr. Oates Yes he hath confessed it Attorn Gen. We desire your Lordship he may give an account of the Consult here in May last and how far Mr. Coleman was privy to the murthering of the King Mr. Oates In the Month of April Old-Stile in the Month of May New-Stile there was a Consult held it was begun at the White Horse Tavern it did not continue there After that there they had consulted to send one Father Cary to be Agent and Procurator for Rome they did adjourn themselves to several Clubs in Companies some met at Wild-House and some at Harcourt's Lodging in Dukes-Street some met at Ireland's Lodging in Russel-Street and some in Fenwick's Lodging in Drury-Lane They were ordered to meet by virtue of a Brief from Rome sent by the Father Generall of the Society They went on to these Resolves That Pickering and Groves should go on and continue in attempting to Assassinate the King's Person by Shooting or other means Groves was to have
Father Le Chese There were two small matters they treated of no less than the Dissolving the Parliament and the Extirpation of the Protestant Religion Nay you will find and you will hear enough when the Letters come to be read that Mr. Coleman made many strokes at the Parliament he had no good opinion of them And we cannot blame him for without all peradventure they had made and I hope ever will make strong resistance against such Designs as these But a great mind he had to be rid of them and he had hopes of great Sums of Money from abroad if it had been to be done that way And it is very remarkable and shews the vanity of the Man he had such an opinion of the success of these Negotiations that he had penn'd a Declaration prepared by him and writ with his own hand to be published in Print up on the Dissolution of the Parliament to justifie that Action with many specious and plausible Reasons As he did this without any direction so he takes upon him to write a Declaration as in the Name of the King without the least shadow of any command to do it so he prepares a Letter also in the name of the Duke and I would not affirm unless I could prove it and that from his own Confession being examined before the Lords upon Oath that he had no manner of Authority from the Duke to prepare such a Letter and when it was written and brought to the Duke it was rejected and the Writer justly blamed for his presumption By this you will perceive the forwardness of this Man And you must of necessity take notice that in his Letters he took upon himself to manage Affairs as authorized by the greatest Persons in the Kingdom yet without the least shadow of proof that he was by them impowered to do it My Lord you shall find Mr. Coleman thought himself above all and such was his own over-weening opinion of his Wit and Policy that he thought himself the sole and supreme Director of all the Affairs of the Catholicks You will likewise perceive that he held Intelligence with Cardinal Norfolk with Father Sheldon and the Popes Internuntio at Brussels And I cannot but observe out of the Proofs that as we shall find Mr. Coleman very ambitious and forward in all great Affairs so he had a little too much Eye to the Reward he looked too much asquint upon the matter of Money his great endeavours were not so much out of Conscience or out of Zeal to his Religion as out of temporal Interest to him Gain was instead of Godliness And by his Letters to the French Confessor Monsieur Le Chese it will be proved that he got much Money from the Catholicks here and some from abroad but still he wanted Money What to do I do not mean the greater sum of two hundred thousand pounds to procure the Dissolution of the Parliament but some twenty thousand pounds onely To be expended by him in secret Service I do not know what account he would have given of it if he had been intrusted with it But that he earnestly thirsted after Money appeareth by most of his Letters My Lord you will observe besides his Intelligences that he had with Father Le Chese and several others one that deserves to be named and that is his Negotiation with Sir William Frogmorton who was sent over into France and there resided a long time to promote these Designs He is dead therefore I will not say so much of him as I would say against him if he was here to be tri'd But my Lord I find in his Letters such Treasonable such Impious expressions against the King such undutiful Characters of him that no good Subject would write and no good Subject would receive and conceal as Mr. Coleman hath done My Lord it may pass for a wonder how we come to be Masters of all these Papers it has in part been told you already There was an information given of the general Design nay of some of the particulars against the Kings Life And without all peradventure Mr. Coleman knew of this Discovery and he knew that he had Papers that could speak too much and he had time and opportunity enough to have made them away and I make no question but he did make many away We are not able to prove the continuance of his correspondence so as to make it clearly out but we suppose that continued until the day he was seized And there is this to be proved that Letters came for him though we cannot say any were delivered to him after he was in Prison But without all peradventure the Man had too much to do too many Papers to conceal Then you 'll say he might have burnt them all for many would burn as well as a few But then he had lost much of the Honour of a great States-man many a fine Sentence and many a deep Intrigue had been lost to all Posterity I believe that we owe this Discovery to something of Mr. Coleman's Vanity he would not lose the Glory of managing these important Negotiations about so great a Design He thought 't was no small Reputation to be intrusted with the Secrets of Forreign Ministers If this was not his reason God I believe took away from him that clearness of Judgment and strength of Memory which he had upon other occasions My Lord I shall no longer detain you from reading the Papers themselves But I cannot but account this Kingdom happy that these Papers are preserved For my Lord We are to deal with a sort of men that have that prodigious confidence that their words and deeds though proved by never so unsuspected Testimony they will still deny But my Lord no denial of this Plot will prevail for Mr. Coleman himself hath with his own hand recorded this Conspiracy and we can prove his hand not onely by his own Servants and Relations but by his own Confession So that my Lord I doubt not that if there be any of their own Party that hear this Trial they themselves will be satisfi'd with the truth of these things And I believe we have an advantage in this case which they will not allow us in another matter namely that we shall be for this once permitted to believe our own Senses Our Evidence consisteth of two parts one is Witnesses Viva voce which we desire with the favour of the Court to begin with and when that is done we shall read several Letters or Negotiations in writing and so submit the whole to your Lordships direction Pris I beg leave that a poor ignorant Man that is so heavily charged that it seems a little unequal to consider the reason why a Prisoner in such a case as this is is not allowed Counsel but your Lordship is supposed to be Counsel for him But I think it very hard I cannot be admitted Counsel and I humbly hope your Lordship will not suffer me
Fifteen Hundred Pounds Pickering being a Religious man was to have Thirty Thousand Masses which at Twelve Pence a Mass amounted much what to that money This Resolve of the Jesuits was communicated to Mr. Coleman in my hearing at Wild-House My Lord this was not onely so but in several Letters he did mention it and in one Letter I think I was gone a few miles out of London he sent to me by a Messenger and did desire the Duke might be trappan'd into this Plot to Murther the King Lord. Ch. Just How did he desire it Mr. Oates In a Letter that all means should be used for the drawing in the Duke This Letter was written to one Ireland I saw the Letter and read it Lord Ch. Just How do you know it was his Letter Mr. Oates Because of the Instructions which I saw Mr. Coleman take a Copy of and write which was the same hand with the News Letter and what else I have mentioned the Subscription was Recommend me to Father Lechees and it was the same hand whereof I now speak Lord Ch. Just What was the substance of the Letter Mr. Oates Nothing but Complement and Recommendation and that all means might be used for the trappanning the Duke of York as near as I can remember that was the word Just Wild. You did say positively that Mr. Coleman did consent and agree to what was consulted by the Jesuits which was to kill the King and Pickering and Groves were the two persons designed to do it Did you hear him consent to it Mr. Oates I heard him say at Wild-House he thought it was well contrived Recor. Do the Gentlemen of the Jury hear what he saith Lord. Ch. Just Gentlemen of the Jury do you hear what he saith Jury Yes Attorn Gen. What do you know of any Rebellion to have been raised in Ireland and what was to be done with the Duke of Ormond Mr. Oates In the Month of August there was a Consult with the Jesuites and with the Benedictine Monks at the Savoy In this Month of August there was a Letter writ from Arch-Bishop Talbot the Titular Arch-Bishop of Dublin wherein he gave an account of a Legate from the Pope an Italian Bishop the Bishop of Cassay I think who asserted the Pope's Right to the Kingdom of Ireland In this Letter to mention in special there were Four Jesuits had contrived to dispatch the Duke of Ormond these were his words To find the most expedient way for his death and Fogarthy was to be sent to do it by Poyson if these Four good Fathers did not hit of their Design My Lord Fogarthy was present And when the Consult was almost at a period Mr. Coleman came to the Savoy to the Consult and was mighty forward to have Father Fogarthy sent to Ireland to dispatch the Duke by Poyson This Letter did specify they were there ready to rise in Rebellion against the King for the Pope Attorney Generall Do you know any thing of Arms Mr. Oates There were 40000 Black Bills I am not so skilfull in Arms to know what they meant Military Men know what they are that were provided to be sent into Ireland but they were ready for the use of the Catholick Party Lord Ch. Just Who were they provided by Mr. Oates I do not know Lord Ch. Just How do you know they were provided Mr. Oates That Letter doth not mention who they were provided by but another Letter mentioned they were provided by those that were Commission Officers for the aid and help of the Pope the Popish Commissioners they were provided by and they had them ready in Ireland Lord Ch. Just Who wrote this Letter Mr. Oates It came from Talbot I might forget the day of the Month because my Information is so large but it was the former part of the Year I think either January or February 77 78 last January or February Lord Ch. Just Was this Consult but in August last Mr. Oates I am forced to run back from that Consult to this Mr. Coleman was privy and was the main Agent and did in the Month of August last past say to Fenwick he had found a way to transmit the 200000 li. for the carrying on of this Rebellion in Ireland Lord Ch. Just Did you hear him say so Mr. Oates I did a Week before Lord Ch. Just You say he was very forward to send Fogarthy into Ireland to kill the Duke of Ormond Mr. Oates Yes that I say and that he had found a way to transmit 200000 li. to carry on the Rebellion in Ireland Court Who was by besides Fenwick Mr. Oates My self and no body else Court Where was it said Mr. Oates In Fenwick's Chamber in Drury-lane Attorn Gen. Do you know any thing of transmitting the money to Windsor or perswading any to be sent thither and the time when Mr. Oates In the Month of August there were four Russians procured by Dr. Fogarthy These Four were not nominated in the Consult with the Benedictine Convent but My Lord these four Ruffians without names were accepted of by them Court Who proposed them Mr. Oates Fogarthy These four Irish men were sent that night to Windsor How they went I know not but the next day there was a provision of 80 li. ordered to them by the Rector of London which is a Jesuite one Will. Harcourt in the name of the Provincial because he acted in his name and authority the Provincial being then beyond the Seas visiting his Colledges in Flanders Lord Ch. Just Did he order the 80 li. Mr. Oates Mr. Coleman came to this Harcourt's House then lying in Duke's Street and Harcourt was not within but he was directed to come to Wild-House and at Wild-House he found Harcourt Lord Ch. Just How do you know that Mr. Oates He said he had been at his House and was not within finding him at Wild-House he asked what care was taken for those four Gentlemen that went last night to Windsor he said there was 80 li. ordered Lord Ch. Just Who said so Mr. Oates Harcourt And there was the Messenger that was to carry it I think the most part of this 80 li. was in Guineys Mr. Coleman gave the Messenger a Guiney to be nimble and to expedite his Journey L. Chief Just How know you they were Guinies Mr. Oates I saw the money upon the Table before Harcourt not in his hand L. Chief Just Were the Four Irish men there Mr. Oates No they were gone before I came L. Chief Just Who was to carry it after them what was his name Mr. Oates I never saw him before or since the Money was upon the Table when Mr. Coleman came in he gave the messenger a Guiney to expedite the business Recorder You say Mr. Coleman inquired what Care was taken for those Ruffians that were to Assassinate the King pray Mr. Oates tell my Lord and the Jury what you can say concerning Mr. Colemans discourse with one Ashby Mr. Oates In the
THE TRYAL OF EDWARD COLEMAN Gent. FOR Conspiring the Death OF THE KING AND THE Subversion of the Government OF ENGLAND AND THE Protestant Religion Who upon Full Evidence was found Guilty of HIGH TREASON And received SENTENCE accordingly on Thursday November the 28th 1678. LONDON Printed for Robert Pawlet at the Bible in Chancery-Lane near Fleet-street 1678. November 28. 1678. I Do appoint Robert Pawlet to Print the TRYAL of Edward Coleman And that no other Person presume to Print the same WILLIAM SCROGGS THE TRYAL OF Edward Coleman Gent. ON Wednesday the Twenty Seventh day of November 1678. Mr. Coleman having been Arraigned the Saturday before for High Treason was brought to the Kings Bench Bar to receive his Tryal and the Court proceeded thereupon as followeth Court Cryer make Proclamation Proclamation for Silence Cryer O Yes Our Sovereign Lord the King do's strictly Charge and Command all manner of Persons to keep Silence upon pain of Imprisonmenâ— If any one can inform our Sovereign Lord the King the King's Serjeant or the King's Attorney General or this Inquest now to be taken of any Treason Murder Felony or any other Misdemeanour committed or done by the Prisoner at the Bar let them come forth and they shall be heard for the Prisoner stands at the Bar upon his Deliverance Court Cryer make an O yes Cryer O yes You Good Men that are impannelled to enquire between our Sovereign Lord the King and Edward Coleman Prisoner at the Bar answer to your names Court Edward Coleman Hold up thy hand These Good men that are now called and here appear are those which are to pass between you and our Sovereign Lord the King upon your Life or Death if you challenge any of them you must speak as they come to the Book to be sworn and before they are sworn The Prisoner Challenging none the Court proceeded and the Jury were sworn viz. JURY Sir Reginald Foster Baronet Sir Charles Lee. Edward Wilford Esquire John Bathurst Esquire Joshua Galliard Esquire John Bifield Esquire Simon Middleton Esquire Henry Johnson Esquire Charles Vmfrevile Esquire Thomas Johnson Esquire Thomas Eaglesfield Esquire William Bohee Esquire Court Cryer make an O yes Cryer O yes Our Sovereign Lord the King does strictly charge and command all manner of Persons to keep Silence upon pain of Imprisonment Court Edward Coleman Hold up thy hand You Gentlemen of the Jury that are now sworn look upon the Prisoner and hearken to his Charge You shall understand that the Prisoner stands Indicted by the name of Edward Coleman late of the Parish of St. Margarets Westminster in the County of Middlesex Gent. for that he as a false Traytor against our most Illustrious Serene and most Excellent Prince Charles by the Grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith c. and his Natural Lord having not the Fear of God in his Heart nor duely weighing his Allegiance but being moved and seduced by the Instigation of the Devil his cordial Love and true Duty and natural Obedience which true and lawful Subjects of our said Lord the King ought to bear towards him and by Law ought to have altogether withdrawing and Devising and with all his strength intending the Peace and common Tranquillity of this Kingdom of England to Disturb and the true Worship of God within the Kingdom of England practised and by Law Established to overthrow and Sedition and Rebellion within this Realm of England to move stir up and procure and the cordial Love and true Duty and Allegiance which true and lawful Subjects of our Sovereign Lord the King toward their Sovereign bear and by Law ought to have altogether to Withdraw Forsake and Extinguish and our said Sovereign Lord the King to Death and final Destruction to bring and put the Twenty Ninth day of September in the Seven and Twentieth year of the Reign of our said Sovereign Lord Charles the Second of England Scotland France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith c. at the Parish of St. Margarets Westminster aforesaid in the County aforesaid Falsly Maliciously and Traiterously proposed Compassed Imagined and Intended to stir up and raise Sedition and Rebellion within the Kingdom of England and to procure and cause a miserable Destruction among the Subjects of our said Lord the King and wholly to Deprive Depose Deject and Disinherit our said Sovereign Lord the King of his Royal State Title Power and Rule of his Kingdom of England and to bring and put our said Sovereign Lord the King to final Death and Destruction and to overthrow and change the Government of the Kingdom of England and to alter the sincere and true Religion of God in this Kingdom by Law established and wholly to subvert and destroy the state of the whole Kingdom being in the universal parts thereof well Established and Ordained and to levy War against our said Sovereign Lord the King within his Realm of England And to accomplish and fulfill these his most wicked Treasons and Trayterous Designs and Imaginations aforesaid the said Edward Coleman afterward that is to say the Nine and twentieth day of September in the Twenty seventh year of the Reign of our said Lord the King at the Parish of St Margarets Westminster aforesaid in the County of Middlesex aforesaid Falsly Deceitfully and Trayterously Composed Contrived and Writ two Letters to be sent to one Monsieur le Chese then Servant and Confessor of Lewis the French King to Desire Procure and Obtain for the said Edward Coleman and other False Traytors against our said Sovereign Lord the King the Aid Assistance and Adherence of the said French King to alter the true Religion in this Kingdom Established to the Superstition of the Church of Rome and to subvert the Government of this Kingdom of England And afterwards that is to say the said Nine and twentieth day of September in the year aforesaid at the Parish of St. Margarets Westminster in the County of Middlesex aforesaid the said Edward Coleman Falsely Trayterously and Maliciously Composed and Writ two other Letters to be sent to the said Monsieur le Chese then Servant and Confessor to the said French King to the Intent that he the said Monsieur le Chese should Intreat Procure and Obtain for the said Edward Coleman and other False Traytors against our Sovereign Lord the King Aid Assistance and Adherence of the said French King to alter the true Religion in this Kingdom of England Established to the Superstition of the Church of Rome and to subvert the Government of this Kingdom of England And that the said Edward Coleman in further Prosecution of his Treason and Trayterous Imaginations and Intentions as aforesaid afterward viz. the Twenty ninth day of September in the Seven and twentieth year of the Reign of our said Sovereign Lord King Charles of England c. the said several Letters from the said Parish of St. Margarets Westminster in the County of Middlesex aforesaid Falsly
Maliciously and Trayterously did send to the said Monsieur le Chese into Parts beyond the Seas there to be delivered to him And that the said Edward Coleman afterward viz. the first day of December in the seven and twentieth year of our said Sovereign Lord the King at the said Parish of St. Margarets Westminster in the County of Middlesex aforesaid did receive from the said Monsieur le Chese one Letter in Answer to one of the said Letters first mentioned and written by him the said Edward Coleman to the said Monsieur le Chese which said Letter in Answer as aforesaid Falsly Maliciously and Trayterously received the day and year aforesaid at the Parish of St. Margarets Westminster aforesaid the said Edward Coleman did falsly trayterously and maliciously read over and Peruse And that the said Edward Coleman the Letter so as aforesaid by him in Answer to the said Letter received into his Custody and Possession the Day and Year last mentioned at the Parish of St. Margarets Westminster aforesaid in the County of Middlesex aforesaid did Falsly Maliciously and Trayterously Detain Conceal and Keep By which Letter the said Monsieur le Chese the Day and Year last mentioned at the Parish of St. Margarets Westminster in the County of Middlesex aforesaid did signifie and promise to the said Edward Coleman to obtain for the said Edward Coleman and other false Traytors against our Sovereign Lord the King Aid Assistance and Adherence from the said French King and that the said Edward Coleman afterward Viz. the tenth day of December in the seven and twentieth year of the Reign of our said Sovereign Lord the King at the Parish of St. Margarets Westminster in the County of Middlesex aforesaid his wicked Treasons and Traiterous Designs and Proposals as aforesaid did tell and declare to one Mounsieur Revigni Envoy extraordinary from the French King to our most Serene and Sovereign Lord King Charles c. in the County aforesaid residing and did falsly maliciously and trayterously move and excite the said Envoy extraordinary to partake in his Treason and the sooner to fulfil and compleat his Traiterous Designs and wicked imaginations and intentions the said Edward Coleman afterward Viz. the tenth day of December in the seven and twentieth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King Charles the Second of England c. aforesaid at the Parish of St. Margarets Westminster in the County of Middlesex aforesaid did advisedly maliciously deceitfully and traiterously compose and write three other Letters to be sent to one Sir William Throckmorton Kt. then a Subject of our said Soveraign Lord the King of this Kingdome of England and residing in France in parts beyond the Seas Viz. at the Parish of St. Margarets Westminster in the County of Middlesex aforesaid to sollicite the said Monsieur Le Chese to procure and obtain of the said French King Aid Assistance and Adherance as aforesaid and the said Letters last mentioned afterward Viz. the day and year last named as aforesaid from the said Parish of St. Margarets Westminster in the County of Middlesex aforesaid did falsly and tâ—aiterously send and cause to be delivered to the said Sir VVilliam Throckmorton in France aforesaid against his true Allegiance and against the Peace of our Sovereign Lord the King that now is his Crown and Dignity and against the Form of the Statute in that Case made and Provided Court Upon this Indictment he hath been arraigned and hath pleaded thereunto not guilty and for his Tryal he puts himself upon God and his Country Which Country you are Your Charge is to enquire whether he be guilty of the High Treason whereof he stands indicted or not guilty If you find him guilty you are to enquire what Goods and Chattels Lands and Tenements he had at the time when the High Treason was committed or at any time since If you find him not guilty you are to say so and no more and hear your Evidence Cryer If any one will give Evidence on the behalf of our Soveraign Lord the King against Edward Coleman the Prisoner at the Bar let him come forth and he shall be heard for the Prisoner now stands at the Bar upon his Deliverance Mr. Recorder May it please you my Lord and you Gentlemen of the Jury Mr. Edward Coleman now the prisoner at the Bar stands indicted for High Treason and the Indictment sets forth that the said Edward Coleman indeavouring to subvert the Protestant Religion and to change and alter the same And likewise to stir up Rebellion and Sedition amongst the Kings Liege people and also to kill the King did on the 29th of September in the twenty seventh year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord the King at the Parish of St. Margarets VVestminster in this County compose and write two several Letters to one Mounsieur Le Chese that was then servant and Confessor to the French King and this was to procure the French Kings aid and assistance to him and other Traitors to alter the Religion practised and by Law established here in England to the Romish Superstition The Indictment sets forth likewise that on the same day he did write and compose two other Letters to the same Gentleman that was servant and Confessor to the said King to prevail with him to procure the French Kings assistance to alter the Religion in this Kingdome established to the Romish Religion The Indictment sets further forth that he caused these two Letters to be sent beyond the Seas And it also sets forth that on the tenth of December the same moneth he did receive a Letter from the Gentleman that was the Confessor in answer to one of the former Letters and in that Letter aid and assistance from the French King was promised and that he did traiterously conceal that Letter My Lord the Indictment sets out further that on the tenth day of the same moneth he did reveal his Treasons and traiterous Conspiracies to one Mounsieur Revigni who was Envoy from the French king to his Majesty of Great Britain And his Indictment declares he afterwards did write three Letters more to Sir VVilliam Throckmorton then residing in France to procure the French Kings assistance to the alteration of the Religion practised here in England Of these several Offences he stands hereindicted To this he hath pleaded not guilty If we prove these or either of them in the Indictment you ought to find him guilty Serj. Maynard May it please your Lordship and you Gentlemen of the Jury This is a Cause of great Concernment Gentlemen the Prisoner at the Bar stands indicted for no less than for an intention and endeavour to murther the King For an endeavour and attempt to change the Government of the Nation so well settled and instituted and to bring us all to ruin and slaughter of one another and for an endeavour to alter the Protestant Religion and to introduce instead of it the Romish Superstition and Popery This
is the Charge in general of the Indictment We will proceed unto particulars whereby it may appear and whereupon he indeavoureth to accomplish his ends One or two Letters written to Mounsieur Le Chese he is a Foreigner and we have nothing to say to him being Confessor to the French King it was to excite and stir him up to procure aid and assistance and you know what aid and assistance means from a Foreign Prince Arms and other Levies We charge him with it that he did receive this Letter I and received an answer with a promise that he should have assistance He writ other Letters to Sir William Throckmorton who trayterously conspired with him and had intelligence from time to time from him This is the Charge in the Indictment To which he hath pleaded not guilty We will go on in our Evidence I shall but more generally open our method that we intend to take For it may seem strange and is not reasonably to be imagined that a private Gentleman as the Prisoner at the Bar is should have such vast and great designs as this to alter Religion destroy the Government I and destroy the Subjects too in a great measure But 't is not himself alone but he imploys himself for Forreign assistance great Confederacies and Combinations with the Subjects of that King many of whom he did pervert In the course of the Evidence I shall not open the particulars Mr. Attorney I think will do that by and by those that we have occasion to speak of and shall in proof mention to you will be these Le Chese the French Kings present Confessor we have mentioned before him there was one Father Ferryer with whom he held Correspondence That Ferryer being removed by death the Prisoner had an imployment here amongst us by which he gave to Le Chese instructions how to proceed This Gentleman is the great Contriver and Plotter which gives him instructions how to proceed He doth give him an account by way of Narrative how all things had stood upon former treaties and negotiations how businesses were contrived and how far they were gone this he diligently and accurately gives an account of This my Lord doth discover and delineate what had been done before until 1674. My Lord there was likewise Sir William Throckmorton and some others that are Englishmen too there are none of them but what were first Protestants but when they once renounced their Religion no wonder they should renounce their Nation and their Prince too He was gone beyond the Seas several Letters past between them and all to promote and encourage and accomplish this design My Lord there is likewise a consult of Jesuits used too where in express words they designed to murther the King or contrived and advised upon it My Lord there were four Irish men I open but the heads of things sent to Windsor to murther the King this Gentleman received and disbursed money about this business and one Ashby a Jesuit here had instructions from him to prosecute the design and to treat with a Physitian to poyson the King This the Prisoner approved of and contributed to it There were Commissions as I take it delivered from Ferryer or by his hand that came from Forreign powers Sir Henry Titchburn was another that received and delivered Commissions Pompone the French Gentleman he maintains intelligence with him about this business the Titular Arch-bishop of Dublin There 's Cardinal Norfolk by him he had accession to the Pope There was likewise the Popes Nuncio I do not open the transactions of these Iustructions these particulars will be made out not only by Witness Viva Voce and not single only but by Letters of this Mr. Colemans own writing But I offer that to the consideration of the Jury Mr. Oats was the first Man that we hear of that discovered this Treason he was the single man that discovered so many active Agents in so great a Treason as this was and it needed to be well seconded but he being found to be but single the boldness and courage of these Complotters in it grew great thereupon We know what followed the damnable murther of that Gentleman in Execution of his Office so Hellishly contrived and the endeavours that were used to hide it every body knows How many Stories were told to hide that abominable Murther how many lies there were about it but it could not be supprest The Nation is awaken'd out of sleep and it concerns us now to look about us But all this while Mr. Coleman thought himself safe walked in the Fields goes abroad Jealousie increasing and he himself still secure The Letters that are produced go but to some part of the year 75 from 75 unto 78 all lies in the dark we have no certain Proof of it but we apprehend he had Intelligence until 78 That there were the same persons continuing here and his Company increasing here But this I speak but as probable but very exceeding probable that there was other passages of Intelligence between this Person and other Confederates It seems my Lord that this Coleman was aware that he was concerned but God blinded and infatuated him and took away his reason It 's no question but he carried away some of those Papers those that were left behind and are produced he forgot and neglected and by that my Lord those which are produced are evidence against him at this time Surely he thought we were in such a condition that had eyes and could not see and ears that could not hear and understandings without understanding for he was bold and walked abroad and that until this prosecution was made upon him he endeavoured to murther the King change the Government make an alteration of Religion and destruction of Protestants as well as the Protestant Religion And it will be proved by some Letters when they were rejected by the Duke that he sent them in the Dukes name And by this no man will doubt but he is a great Traitor Attorn Gen. May it please your Lordship and you Gentlemen of the Jury The Kings Serjeant hath opened the general parts of our Evidence and we have reason to foresee that our Evidence will be very long and will take up much of your time and therefore I shall spend no more time in opening of it than is just necessary And indeed my Lord Mr. Coleman himself hath saved me much of the labour which otherwise I should have bestowed for he hath left such Elegant and copious Narratives of the whole Design under his own hand that the reading of them will be better than any new one I can make But my Lord some short account I shall give you such as may shew you the course of our Evidence and will make our Evidence when it comes to be given to be more intelligible My Lord It will appear that there hath been for many years last past a more than ordinary design and industry to bring in the
you went to Mr. Coleman whether you seized his Papers and what Papers you saw and how you disposed of them after they were seiz'd Mr. Bradly The 29th of September being Sunday Evening at Six of the Clock I received a Warrant from the Council-Board to apprehend Mr. Coleman and to seize his Papers and to bring them to the Council-board He being not at home I spoke with his Wife and told her I came to search her House I had a Warrant so to do She told me I was welcom I dedesir'd her to send for her Husband I found in several parts of the House a great many Papers I put them up in several Bags I found some in a private corner in a Deal Box. L. Ch. Just What kind of Corner Mr. Bradly In Mr. Coleman's Chamber not in his own Study but in another place behind the Chimney the Box was tack'd together with a Nail I lifted it up and saw they were Letters I put it down again as it was and gave it into the custody of one that was with me to look to it Then I came to his own Study where his ' Scritore was and put up all I could find in several Baggs and Sealed them and brought them to the Council-chamber Attorn Gen. Did you put up any other Papers among them then what you found at Mr. Coleman's House Mr. Bradly I did not upon my Oath I had them all at Mr. Coleman's House Attorn General Did you bring them all to the Clerks of the Council Mr. Bradly Yes Before I came out I tyed them all up and sealed them with my own Seal and was constantly with them At. Gen. Now we will give your Lordship an account how these things were received that were there found Sir Robert Southwell look upon the large Letter and tell my Lord and the Jury whether that were among the Papers brought by this Messenger Sir Robert Southwel My Lord I did not see this Letter in several days after the papers brought me from Bradly when he came in with Three great Baggs and a Box of Letters on Sunday night Said I which are Mr. Coleman's principal papers Said he those that are in the large speckled cloath Bagg for these we took first in the Scritore These I took and meddled not with the other I presume other Clerks of the Council can give a particular account where this paper was found At. Gen. Sir Thomas Doleman look upon the Letter whether you can remember any thing of it Sir Th. Doleman I remember I found it in a Deal Box among Mr. Coleman's papers those that Bradly brought Court That 's plain enough At. Gen. That we may not often prove what we shall often make use of I would prove it fully once for all that all these papers were of his Hand-writing This we can prove by two sorts of Evidences his own Confession and the Witness of Two persons one that was his Servant and th' other a Sub-Secretary that did write very many things for him Mr. Boatman look upon these papers Tell my Lord and the Jury whose Hand it is Are you acquainted with Mr. Coleman's Hand What relation had you to him Boatman I was his Gentleman that waited on him in his Chamber Five Years This is very like his Hand Lord Ch. Just Do you believe it is his hand Boatman I believe it is Lord Ch. Just Little proof will serve the turn because they were taken in his possession At. Gen. I desire to prove it fully look upon all the Papers turn all the Leaves see if they be not all one hand and whether you believe all to be Mr. Coleman's hand Writing or not Boatman I believe it to be all his hand Lord Ch. Just Do you know when the last Packet of Letters came up that were sent to Mr. Coleman from beyond the Seas Boatman Two or three dayes after he was taken Prisoner Lord Ch. Just Do you know where they are bestowed Did you receive Monsieur Le Chese's Letters for Mr. Coleman Boatman Yes Lord Ch. Just Did you ever Write any for him to Le Chese Boatman No. At. Gen. Inform the Court whether he kept any Book to make Entry of Letters he sent or received Boatman Yes there was a large Book my Master did enter his Letters in and his News At. Gen. What is become of that Book Boatman I know not At. Gen. When did you see that Book last upon your Oath Boatman On Saturday At. Gen. How long before he was sent to Prison Boat Two days because the next day was Sunday which he did not make use of it on Monday my Master was in Prison and I did not mind the Book L. Ch. Just Were there any Entries of Letters in that Book within Two Years last past Boatman I cannot be positive At. Gen. Did he not usually write and receive Letters from beyond Sea Till that time had he not Negotiation as usually Boatman He had usually News every Post from beyond the Seas Prisoner There 's Letters from the Hague Brussels France and Rome they are all with the Council which were all the Letters I received Att. Gen. We have another Witness Cattaway are you acquainted with Coleman's Hand-writing Do you believe it to be his Hand-writing Witness I believe it is they are his Hand-writing Att. Gen. It will appear if there were no other proof in this Cause his own papers are as good as an hundred Witnesses to condemn him Therefore I desire to prove them fully by his own Confession Sir Phil. Lloyd a Witness These are the Papers I received from Sir Thomas Doleman I found them as he saith in a Deal Box Among his Papers I found this Letter Mr. Coleman hath owned this was his Hand-writing it 's all one Letter Att. Gen. 'T is all the same Hand and he acknowledged it to be his Mr. Recorder I desire Mr. Astrey may read it so that the Jury may hear it Mr. Astrey Clerk of the Crown reads the Letter The 29th of September 1675. It is subscribed thus Your most humble and most obedient Servant but no name Mr. COLEMANS Long Letter SInce Father St. German has been so kind to me as to recommend me to your Reverence so advantagiously as to encourage you to accept of my Correspondency I will own to him that he has done me a Favour without Consulting me greater than I could have been capable of if he had advised with me because I could not then have had the Confidence to have permitted him to ask it on my behalf And I am so sensible of the Honour you are pleased to do me that though I cannot deserve it yet to shew at least the sense I have of it I will deal as freely and openly with you this first time as if I had had the honour of your Acquaintance all my life and shall make no Apology for so doing but only tell you that I know your Character perfectly well though I am not so happy
as to know your Person and that I have an Opportunity of putting this Letter into the hands of Father St. German â—s Nephew for whose Integrity and Prudence he has undertaken without any sort of hazard In order then Sir to the plainness I profess I will tell you what has formerly passed between your Reverence's Predecessor Father Ferryer and my self About three years ago when the King my Master sent a Troop of Horse Guards into his most Christian Majesties Service under the Command of my Lord Durass he sent with it an Officer called Sir William Throckmorton with whom I had a particular Intimacy and who had then very newly embrac'd the Catholick Religion To him did I constantly Write and by him address my self to Father Ferryer The first thing of great Importance I presumed to offer him not to trouble you with lesser matters or what passed here before and immediatly after the Fatal Revocation of the Kings Declaration for Liberty of Conscience to which we owe all our Miseries and hazards was in July August and September 1673. when I constantly inculcated the great danger Catholick Religion and his most Christian Majesties Interest would be in at our next Sessions of Parliament which was then to be in October following at which I plainly foresaw that the King my Master would be forced to something in prejudice to his Allyance with France which I saw so evidently and particularly that we should make Peace with Holland that I urg'd all the Arguments I could which to me were Demonstrations to convince your Court of that mischief and press'd all I could to perswade his most Christian Majesty to use his utmost endeavour to prevent that session of our Parliament and proposed Expedients how to do it But I was answered so often and so positively that his most Christian Majesty was so vvell assured by his Embassador here our Embassador there the Lord Arlington and even the King himself that he had no such apprehensions at all but vvas fully satisfied of the contrary and lookt upon what I offered as a very zealous mistake that I was forced to give over arguing though not believing as I did but confidently appealed to time and success to prove who took their measures rightest When it happened what I foresaw came to pass the good Father was a little surprized to see all the great men mistaken and a little one in the right and was pleased by Sir William Throckmorton to desire the continuance of my correspondence which I was mighty willing to comply with knowing the Interest of our King and in a more particular manner of my more immediate Master the Duke and his most Christian Majesty to be so inseparably united that it was impossible to divide them without destroying them all Upon this I shewed that our Parliament in the circumstances it was managed by the timerous Councels of our Ministers who then governed would never be useful either to England France or Catholick Religion but that we should as certainly be forced from our Neutrality at their next meeting as we had been from our Active Alliance with France the last year That a Peace in the Circumstances we were in was much more to be desired then the continuance of the War and that the Dissolution of our Parliament would certainly procure a Peace for that the Confederates did more depend upon the power they had in our Parliament then upon any thing else in the World and were more encouraged from them to the continuing of the War so that if they were Dissolved their measures would be all broken and they consequently in a manner necessitated to a Peace The good Father minding this Discourse somewhat more then the Court of France thought fit to do my former urg'd it so home to the King that his Majesty was pleased to give him Orders to signify to his R. H. my Master that his Majesty vvas fully satisfyed of his R. H s. good intention tovvards him and that he esteemed both their interests but as one and the same that my Lord Arlington and the Parliament were both to be lookt upon as very unuseful to their interest That if his R. H. would endeavour to dissolve this Parliament his most Christian Majesty would assist him with his Povver and Purse to have a nevv one as should be for their purpose This and a great many more expressions of kindness and confidence Father Ferryer was pleased to communicate to Sir William Throckmorton and Commanded them to send them to his R. H. and withall to beg his R. H. to propose to his most Christian Majesty what he thought necessary for his own concern and the advantage of Religion and his Majesty would certainly do all he could to advance both or either of them This Sir William Throckmorton sent to me by an Express who left Paris the 2d of June 1674 Stilo novo I no sooner had it but I communicated it to his R. H. To which his R. H. commanded me to answer as I did on the 29th of the same month That his R. H. was very sensible of his most Christian Majesties friendship and that he would labour to cultivate it with all the good Offices he was capable of doing for his Majesty that he was fully convinced that their Interests were both one that my Lord Arlington and the Parliament vvere not only unuseful but very dangerous both to England and France That therefore it was necessary that they should do all they could to Dissolve it And that his R. H's opinion was that if his most Christian Majesty would Write his thoughts freely to the King of England upon this Subject and make the same proffer to his Majesty of his Purse to Dissolve this Parliament which he had made to his R H. to call another he did believe it very possible for him to succeed with the assistance we should be able to give him here and that if this Parliament were Dissolved there would be no great difficulty of getting a new one which would be more useful The Constitutions of our Parliaments being such that a new one can never hurt the Crown nor an old one do it good His R. H. being pleased to own these Propositions which were but only general I thought it reasonable to be more particular and come closer to the point we might go the faster about the work and come to some issue before the time was too far spent I laid this for my Maxim The Dissolution of our Parliament will certainly procure a Peace which proposition was granted by every body I Conversed withall even by Monsieur Rouvigny himself with whom I took liberty of discoursing so far but durst not say any thing of the Intelligence I had with Father Ferryer Next that a Sum of Money certain would certainly procure a Dissolution this some doubted but I am sure I never did for I knew perfectly well that the King had frequent Disputes with himself at that time whether