Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A67747
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A full discovery of the first Presbyterian sham-plot, or, A letter from one in London to a person of quality in the country by Andrew Yarranton.
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Yarranton, Andrew, 1616-1684.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing Y15; ESTC R34108
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11,352
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16
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repairs to Mrs. Yarranton and informs her of it She went to Worcester and prevails with the Marshal's Maid to deliver a Paper to her Husband wherein was a Relation of the whole Matter This being done Mr. Yarranton having perused this Paper and being thereby let into the knowledg of this malicious Design he ordered six Actions to be immediatly entred against some of those that brought him to Prison And the next day being Saturday in the time of high Market he took two Bed-staffs in his hands and broke all the Windows in the Chamber where he was confin'd and which look'd towards the Street Upon which the Town was in an Uproar and a Multitude of People crouded before the Chamber The George in the High-street in the broad Street to know what the Matter was He told them how he and others were maliciously and wrongfully imprison'd that he could give an account of the Contrivance of this Plot and who were the Contrivers of it On the Wednesday following the Lord Lieutenant and six of his Deputies came to the Town and sent one Fulk Fisher an Officer of theirs to Mr. Yarranton to know the reason of his misbehaving himself in the place of his Confinement He sent them word He did it on purpose that he might be brought the sooner before them to make a discovery of the Presbyterian Plot which was so much talk'd of the which he was ready and willing to do After some Debate between the Lord Lieutenant and his Deputies about this Matter it was at last resolved that Yarranton should be brought before them which was done There he offer'd to discover to them the whole Plot how it was laid and by whom and for what ends He desired that the Doors might be set open for he had many Friends and Witnesses without He prayed also that he might have Pen Ink and Paper and he would write down the whole Matter for Words might be wrested to other Intents than they are spoken This was a while debated but in Reason it could not be denied and Mr. Yarranton no sooner began to write but the Lord Lieutenant and Sir J. P. left the Room and went down the Back-Stairs and after followed the rest of the Deputy Lieutenants only Esq Bromly of Holt stay'd behind He it seems was no way privy to this Design and told Mr. Yarranton that he was sorry with all his Heart to see such things practised to the disturbance of honest Men and the dishonour of the Government The Enemy having thus fairly quitted the Field Mr. Yarranton demanded of the Marshal what he had further now to say to him The Marshal only made it his Request that he would not trouble him for holding him so long in restraint forasmuch as he was a poor Man and had many Children and did only follow the Orders of his Superiors in what he had done Mr. Yarranton told him he did freely forgive him These dangerous Plotters being now at liberty they depart every Man to his home and were never prosecuted or further question'd about this Matter There was no need of that for the Contrivers had now obtained their End which was To possess the King and Parliament that it was absolutely necessary to make some severe Act against this restless Sort of Men who not contented with the King 's gracious Pardon were always plotting to disturb the Government Accordingly when the Parliament met together on the 20th of November 1661. to which time they were Adjourned the King makes a Speech to them wherein are these Words My Lords and Gentlemen I am sorry to find that the general Temper and Affections of the Nation are not so well composed as I hoped they would have been after so signal Blessings of God Almighty upon us all and after so great Indulgence and Condescensions from me towards all Interests There are many wicked Instruments still as active as ever who labour night and day to disturb the Publick Peace and to make all People jealous of each other It will be worthy of your Care and Vigilance to provide proper Remedies for Diseases of that kind and if you find new Diseases you must study new Remedies Let us not be discouraged if we help one another we shall with God's Blessing master all our Difficulties Those which concern Matters of Religion I confess to you are too hard for me and therefore I do recommend them to your Care and Deliberation which can best provide for them I shall not need to recommend or put you in mind of the good Correspondence that ought to be kept between you for the Good of your selves and me and the whole Kingdom and I may tell you it is necessary for us all You will find whoever doth not love me doth not love you and they who have no reverence for you have little kindness for me Thus far his Majesty proceeded and from this last Passage of his it may be understood that they are none of the King's Friends nor are they of his mind who in Words or Writing do cast Contempt on the Parliament No sooner was the Parliament in their Geers but Sir J. P. one of the Knights for Worcestershire with open mouth informs them of a dangerous Presbyterian Plot that was on foot and that many of the chief Conspirators were now in Prison at Worcester The like Information was given by some of their Members that serv'd for Oxfordshire Herefordshire Staffordshire and other Places Yea this was the general Vogue as may appear by the printed Pamphlets of those Times Hereupon a Bill of Uniformity in the Church is excogitated and carried on in the Parliament and past that Session Few durst be so hardy now as to make opposition against it tho I am inform'd it was carried at last but by two or three Votes but of that I am not certain However out it comes and above two thousand Ministers are ejected upon it which caused the greatest Division that ever was in a Kingdom and was the Foundation of all those Miseries we have since felt or feared Here the Jesuit who stood behind the Curtain gained his Point and the unthinking Episcopal Man was the Cat 's Foot that he made use of so zealous were the Prelatical Clergy in promoting this Bill that they spared for no Pains or Cost to effect it I could wish it were a little enquired into what Leases the Dean and Chaplain of Westminster granted of the Mannour of A. betwixt the 8th of May and the 20th of November 1661. unto any Person or Persons that may be justly suspected to have a hand in contriving or carrying on the afore-mentioned Sham-Plot Also that the like Enquiry might be made of the Grants of the Dean and Chapter of Worcester about the same time and that it may be made appear in whose Name such Leases were taken and what they paid for them I have done with the first part of this Presbyterian Sham-Plot when I have added a Passage or