sâ—wing such mischievâ—us Tares as these in the wholesom field of our Church of England and to guard the Vâ—spâ—tted Spâ—use of our Blessed Lord from that fâ—ul Accusation with which she justly chargeâ— other Churches of teaching their Children Loyaâ—ty with so many Reserves and Câ—nditions that they shall never wanâ— a Distâ—nction to justify Râ—bellion nor a Text of Sâ—ripture aâ— good as Curse ye Merez to encâ—urage them to be Traiâ—ors whereas our truly refâ—rmed Church knows no such Subâ—â—â—ties but teaches according to the simplicity of Christianity to submit â—â— every Ordinance of Mâ—n for â—odâ— sake according to the natural Signification of the Wâ—â—ds without Eâ—â—â—vocation oâ— Artificial Turns In order to which having thought to dissolve that body which we have these many years so tenderly cherished and which we are sure consists generally of more Dutâ—sal and Loyal Members we were forced to Prorogue our Parliament till November next hopeing thereby to cure those disorders which have been sown amongst the best and Loyallest by a fâ—w malicious Incendâ—aâ—ies But understanding since that such who have sowed that seditious Seed are as industriously careful to water it by their Cabâ—ls and Emissaries instructed on purpose to Poison our People with discourses in public Places in hopes of a great Crop of Confusion their beloved Fruit the next Session we have â—ound it absolutely necessary to dissolve our Parliament though with great Reluctancy and Violence to our Inâ—lination but remembring the Days of our Royal Father and the progress of Affairs then How from a cry against Popery the People went on to complain of Grievances and against evil Councellours and his Majesties Prerogative until they advanced into a formal Rebâ—llion which brought forth the most dâ—re and fatal Effects that ever were yet heard of among any Mâ—n Christians or others aâ—d withal finding so great a resâ—mblance between the Proceedings then and now that they seem both brâ—th of the same Brains and being coâ—siâ—m'd in that conceipt by observing the Actions of many now who had a great share in the Management of the former Râ—bâ—llion and their Zeal for Religion who by their Liâ—es gives uâ— too much reason to suspect they have none at all we thought it not sâ—fe to dally too long as our Royal Father did with Submissions and Condescentions endeavouring to cure Men infected without removing them from the Air where they got the Disease and in which it still rages and encreases daily for fear of meeting with no better success than he â—ound in suffering his Parliament to Challenge Power they had nothing to do with till they had bewitch'd the People into fond desires of such things as quickly dâ—strâ—y'd both King and Countrey which in us would be an intolerable Error having been warn'd so lately by the most execrable Murther of our Royal â—ather and the unhuman Vsage which we â—ur self in our Royal Person and Family have suffered and our Loyal Subjects have endured by such practices and least this our great Care of this our Kingdoms quiet and our own honour and safety should as our best Actions have hitherto been be wrested to some siniâ—â—er Sence and Arguments be made from it to scare our good People into any apprehensions of an arbitrary Government either in Church or State we do hereby solemnly declare and faithfully engage our Royal Word that we will in no case Ecclesiastical or Civil violate or alter the known Laws of our Kingdom or invade any Mâ—ns property or liberty without due course of Law But that we will with our utmost Endeavours preserve the tâ—ue Protestant Religion and Redress all such things as shall indifferently and without Passion be judged Grievances by our next Parliament which we do by Gods bâ—essing intend to call before the end of February next In the mean time we do strictly Charge and Command all manner of Persons whatsoever to forbear to to talk sedâ—tiously slightly or â—rreverentâ—y of our dissolving the Parliament of this our Declaration or of our Peâ—son or Government as they will Answer it at their Perils we being resolv'd to Prosecute all Offendors in that kind with the utmost Rigour and Severity of the Law and to the end that such Licentious Persons if any shall be so Impudent and Obstinate as to Disobey this our Royal Command may be detected and brought to due Punishment we have Ordered our Lord Treasiâ—er to make speedy Payment of twenty pounds to any Person or Persons who shall discover or bring any such Seditious Slight or Irreverent Talker before any of our Principal Secretaâ—ies of State There was another Letter that was sent to Laâ—haise and that is as follows Mr. COLEMAN'S Long LETTER SInce Father St. German has been so kind to me as to recomend 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 then 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 shâ—w 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 fâ—r so dâ—ing but only tell you that I know your Character perfectly well though I am not so happy as 〈…〉 your Person and that I have an Opportunity of putting this Letter into the hands of Father St. Germâ—n '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 Fâ—ther Ferryâ—r and myself About three years ago when the King my Master sent a Troop of â—â—se Guards into his most Christian Majesties Service under the Command of my Lord Durâ—ass â—e sent with it an Officer called Sir William Throckmorton with whom I had a particular Intimaâ—y and who had then very newly embrac'd the Catholick Religion To him did I constantly Write and by him address myself to Father Ferryer The first thing of great Importance I presumâ—d 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 he 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
thereby to make way the more easily to do the same in other Protestant Countries Towards the doing this great Work as Mr. Coleman was pleased to call it Jesuits the most dangerous of all Popish Orders to the Lives and Estates of Princes were distribâ—ted to their several Precincts within this Kingdom and held joynt Councels with those of the same Order in all Neighbour Popish Countries Out of these Councels and Correspondences wus hatched that damnable and hellish Plot by the good Providence of Almighty God brought to light above Two Years since but still threatning us wherein the Traytors impatient of longer delay reckoning the prolonging of your Sacred Majesty's Life which God long preserve us the great Obstacle in the way to the Consummation of their Hopes and having in their Prospect a proselyted Prince immediately to succeed in the Throne of these Kingdoms resolved to begin their Work with the Assassination of your Majesty to carry it on with armed Force to destroy the Protestant Subjects in England to execute a second Massacre in Ireland and so with ease to arrive at the Suppression of our Religion and the Subversion of the Government When this accursed Conspiracy began to be discovered they began to smother it with the barbarous Murther of a Justice of the Peace within one of your Majesty 's own Palaces who had taken some Examinations concerning it Amidst these Distractions and Fears Popish Officers for the Command of Forces were allowed upon Mâ—sters by special Orders surreptitiously obtained from your Majesty but counter-signed by a Secretary of State without ever passing under the Tests prescribed by the aforementioned Act of Parliament In like manner above Fifty new Commissions were granted about the same time to known Papists besides a great Number of desperate Popish Officers though out of Command yet entertained at half pay When in the next Parliament the House of Commons were prepared to bring to a legal Tryal the principal Conspirators in this Plot that Parliament was first prorogued and then dissolved The Interval betwixt the Calling and Sitting of this Parliament was so long that now they conceive Hopes of covering all their past Crimes and gaining a seasonable Time and Advantage of practising them more effectually Witnesses are attempted to be corrupted and not only Promises of Reward but of the Favour of your Majesty's Brother made the Motives to their Compliance Divers of the most considerable of your Majesty's Protestant Subjects have Crimes of the highest Nature forged against them the Charge to be supported by Subornation and Perjury that they may be destroyed by Forms of Law and Justice A Presentment being prepared for a grand Jury of Middlesex against your Majesty's said Brother the Duke of York under whose Countenance all the rest shelter themselves the Grand Jury were in an unheard of and unpresidented and illegal Manner discharged and that with so much haste and fear lest they should finish that Presentment that they were prevented from delivering many other Indictments by them at that time found against other Popish Recusants Because a Pamphlet came forth weekly called The weekly Pacquet of Advice from Rome which exposes Popery as it deseâ—ves as ridiculous to the People a new and arbitrary Rule of Court was made in your Majesty's Court of King's Bench rather like a Star-chamber than a Court of Law that the same should not for the future be printed by any Person whatsoever We acknowledg your Majesty's Grace and Care in issuing forth divers Proclamations since the Discovery of the Plot for the banishing Papists from about this great City and Residence of your Majesty's Court and the Parliament but with trouble of Mind we do humbly inform your Majesty that notwithstanding all these Prohibitions great Numbers of them and of the most dangerous Sort to the Terrour of your Majesty's Protestant Subjects do daily resort hither and abide here Vnder these and other sad Effects and Evidences of the prevalency of Popery and its Adherents we your Majesty's faithful Commons found this your Majesty's distressed Kingdom and other Parts of your Dominions labouring when we assembled And therefore from our Allegiance to your Majesty our Zeal to our Religion our Faithfulness to our Country and our Care of Posterity we have lately upon mature Deliberation proposed one Remedy of these great Evils without which in our Judgments all others will prove vain and fruitless and like all deceitful Securities against certain Dangers will rather expose your Majesty's Person to the greatest Hazard and the People together with all that 's valuable to them as Men or Christians to utter Ruin and Destruction We have taken this Occasion of an Access to your Majesty's Royal Presence humbly to lay before your Majesty's great Judgment and gracious Consideration this most dreadful Design of introducing Popery and as a necessary Consequent of it all other Calamities into your Majesty's Kingdoms And if after all this the private Suggestions of the subtle Accomplices of that Party and Design should yet prevail either to elude or totally to obstruct the faithful Endeavours of us your Commons for the happy Settlement of these Kingdoms we shall have this remaining Comfort That we have free'd our selves from the Guilt of that Blood and Desolation which is like to ensue But our only hope next under God is in your Sacred Majesty that by your great Wisdom and Goodness we may be effectually secured from Popery and all the Evils that attend it and that none but Persons of known Fidelity to your Majesty and sincere Affections to the Protestant Religion may be put into any Employment Civil or Military That whilst we shall give a Supply to Tangier we may be assured we do not augment the Strength of our Popish Adversaries nor encrease our own Dangers Which Desires of your faithful Commons if your Majesty shall graciously vouchsafe to grant we shall not only be ready to assist your Majesty in defence of Tangier but do whatsoever else shall be in our Power to enable your Majesty to protect the Protestant Religion and Interest at home and abroad and to resist and repel the Attempts of your Majesty's and the Kingdoms Enemies 9. Observe the Vote against your self which was made April the 27. 1679. That the Duke of York's being a Papist and the Hopes of his coming to the Crown such hath given the greatest Incouragement to the present Conspiracy and Designs of the Papists against the King and the Protestant Religion Upon which Sir a Bill was brought in and is as follows A Copy of the Duke of York 's BILL WHereas James Duke of York is notoriously known to have been perverted from the Protestant to the Popish Religion whereby not only great Incouragement hath been given to the Popish Party to enter into and carry on most Devilish and Horrid Plots and Conspiracies for the Destruction of his Majesty's Sacred Person and Government and for the Extirpation of the true Protestant Religion But also if
Hearts content was that which the Catholick Cause with the assistance of France when it was at leisure by a general Peace was built upon Now this Vote coming instead of Money upon these hard Conditions no way suited with the mighty design you and your Conspirators had in hand for tho' you had as I said before got a pretty Spell from the Parliament yet that being imploy'd by your old Friend the Parliament-manager and the rest of your Rogues as I have mentioned before Mony was wanting to pay your Soldiers and Fleet and truly Nel Waal and her Mistris and the rest of the Bawds Pimps and Whores had swept a great deal of what was given by these methods from the Parliament for holy secret service This Vote therefore made you and your Conspirators very uneasie your appointed time of setting up being come and prudently as Men in your condition you obtain'd of the King your Brother to give the angry Vote of the House a mild Answer The Vote before mention'd passed the House and was sent to the King your Brother on the 27th of May upon a Monday the next day the 28th His Majesty sent them this Message His Majesty having perused the Vote of this House hath thought fit to return this Answer That the most Christian King hath made such Offers for a Cessation till the 27th of July as His Majesty does not only believe will be accepted but doth also verily believe will end in a general Peace yet since that is not certain His Majesty doth by no means think it prudent to dismiss either Fleet or Army before that time nor doth he think it can add much to the Charge because the raising the mony and the paying them off would take as long time as that although the speediest disbanding that is possible were intended That in the mean time His Majesty desires some Supplies may be provided for their subsistence That as hitherto they have been the most orderly Army that ever was together they may be encourag'd to continue so That there is another thing which presses His Majesty with very great inconvenience in his domestick Affairs which is the want of the 200000 l. you promised to repay him at your next meeting after which doth affect the whole Branch of his Revenue by having a fifth part taken out of every Payment which should be applied to the necessary Vses of his Houshold He doth therefore desire you would immediately apply your selves to the Repayment of that mony to him The House having received this Message they took it for granted as well they might that their Work was done and began to look about and consider what was first to be done they saw well enough to what intent the Army was raised and began to suspect they should never be able to lay the Devil you intended to raise by that Army of yours for they had several Items of your Conspirators corresponding with France from whence they apprehended your Brother and you was to have Mony and by the management of things at home they found it would be very difficult to unhinge your designs they resolved to raise Mony to disband the Forces with all speed and to continue none in pay any longer than Mony could be raised so they vote a Land-Tax of 200000 l. to disband the Army which was to be done by the latter end of August at the farthest and began to think upon another Bill to secure the Nation from Popery and to take care of us when we were dead by passing a Bill to award the Act for burying in Woollen but your Brother seeing the House of Commons very busie about the disbanding the Army sent them a Message on the 7th of June as follows His Majesty in his Speech to both Houses on the 23d of May last told them That if he were made able he would keep up his Army at Land and his Fleet at Sea for some time till a Peace was concluded if that might be but because that would depend upon your supplies he left it to you to consider whether to provide for their subsistence or to disband them sooner His Majesty hath often since had his Thoughts imploy'd upon the same subject and is every day more and more confirmed in his first Opinion to wit that the saving a few days Expence can no ways countervail the Prejudice that would proceed from the parting with his Fleet and Army if after that a Peace should not follow and tho' it should yet the hazarding so much upon the meer presumption of the issue of the thing it self altogether uncertain and quite out of his own power is hardly to be countenanc'd by any Precedent His Majesty therefore again recommendeth to the consideration of this House his Advice on the 23d of May last that they would see the Effects of the Cessation in Flanders before His Majesty be necessitated to disarm himself but more especially of that part of the Army which is in Flanders which if he should recall before the Peace would be liable to a very bad construction viz. that having taken several of the King of Spain's Towns into his protection he had without any reasonable Warning in order to their regarrisoning withdrawn his Forces and abandoned those Towns to the discretion of the Enemy Now Sir I pray remember that notwithstanding this Message the House of Commons did not think sit to keep up your Popish Army for that they now plainly discover'd the use and purposes of this Army and they knew who advised the Speech and those two Messages and had a pretty guess at the meaning and therefore tho' some of the House were for giving longer time yet the generality were of opinion they had been kept too long already and saw it absolutely necessary notwithstanding the fair stories That the design was never to part with them now they were raised but that you and your Conspirators had another Work to do for them And as secret as the thing was carried they had an account both of the Letters of France and of Flanders and of all your Negotiations with the French King and his Ministers as well as your Villanous Jesuites had from time to time an account of the Motions in the House of Commons In short after many Debates the House concluded of a Bill to raise Mony for the disbanding of the Army and gave them for doing it till July for that part at home and those in Flanders till August following and after passing the additional Bill for burying in Woollen they provided the Reimbursement of the 200000 l. formerly borrowed and which had been so often pressed to be paid They arose being adjourned till October following but fain would your Conspirators have had longer time by the Parliaments consent for disbanding their Army but since you could not have their Consent you and your Villains were resolved to do it without Consent The next project you had was to attempt the settling a new Excise
a sum as 20000. l. sterling which is no very great matter to venture upon such an undertaking as this I would be content to be Sacrificed to the utmost Malice of my Enemies if I did not Succeed I have proposed This several times to Mounsieur Rouvigny who seemed always of my Opinion and has often told me that he has Writ into France upon this Subject and has desired me to do the like But I know not whether he will be as Zealous in that point as a Catholick would be because our prevailing in these things would give the greatest Blow to the Protestant Religion here that ever it received since its Birth which perhaps he would not be very glad to see especially when he believes there is another way of doing his Masters Business well enough without it which is by a Dissolution of the Parliament upon which I know he mightily depends and Concludes that if that comes to be Dissolved it will be as much as he needs care for proceeding perhaps upon the same manner of Discourse which we had this time twelve months But with submission to his better Judgment I do think that our Case is extreamly much altered to what it was in Relation to a Dissolution for then the Body of our Governing Ministers all but the Earl of Arlington were entirely united to the Duke and would have Governed his Way if they had been free from all Fear and Controul as they had been if the Parliament had been Removed But they having since that time Engaged in quite different Councels and Embark't themselves and Interests upon other Bottoms having declared themselves against Popery c. To Dissolve the Parliament simply and without any other step made will be to leave them to Govern what way they list which we have Reason to suspect will be to the prejudice of France and Catholic Religion And their late Declarations and Actions have Demonstrated to us that they take that for the most Popular way for themselves and likeliest to keep them in absolute Power whereas if the Duke should once get above them after the Tricks they have plaid with him they are not sure he will Totally forget the Vsage he has â—ad at their hands Therefore it imports us now to Advance our Interest a little further by some such Project as I have Named before we Dissolve the Parliament Or else perhaps we shall but Change Masters a Parliament for Ministers and continue still in the same Slavery and Bondage as before But one such step as I have proposed being well made we may safely see them Dissolved and not fear the Ministers but shall be Established and stand Firm without â—â—y Opposition for every Body will then come over to us and Worship the Rising Sun I have here given you the History of three years as short as I could though I am afraid it will seem very long and troublesometo your Reverence among the multitude of affairs you are concern'd in I have also shewn you the Present State of our Case which may by Godâ— Providence and good Conduct be made of such advantage to Gods Church that for my part I can searce believe my self awake or the thing real when I think on a Prince in such an age as we live in converted to such a Degree of Zeal and Piety as not to regard any thing in the World in comparison of God Almighty's Glory the Salvation of his own Soul and the Conversion of our poor Kingdom which has been a long time opprest and miserably harrast with Heresy and Schism I doubt not but your Reverence will consider our Case and take it to heart and afford us what help you can both with the King of Heaven by your holy Prayers and with his Most Christian Majesty by that great Credit which you most justly have with him And if ever his Majesties affairs or your own can ever want the service of so inconsiderable a Creature as myself you shall never find any body readyer to obey your Commands or faithfuller in the Execution of them to the best of his power than Your most Humble and Obedient Servant By all this we may see that you were deeply ingaged not only in the Plot in general but also in the particular design of the great work for the not doing of which you were much blamed by Lewis the French King this much affrighted the King your Brother who himself by that great work Judged you engaged with Coleman and the Jesuits to destroy him and was once of Opinion that it was necessary to have secured you but his Opinion was altered and you escaped but iâ— that the two last Years Letters of Coleman had not been by you Stifâ—ed you would have then let the world have seen Four main Points 1. That the Life of your Brother the King was by you and your Cut-throats Judged to be the main Obstruction to the compleating your Designs and whilest he lived all your Affairs would be Embarassed if not Defeated for against his Promise and his Allyance made with Lewis the French King he had recalled Liberty of Conscience passed the Test Bill made Peace with the States General and refused to Comply with his own Word and Promise of Dissolving the Parliament by which the French King would have gained a more Advantageous Peace and would sooner have been in a Condition to have let you have had his Aid as well as his Purse well then it seems your Cut-throats did in some measure appear as despairing of carrying your Point during his Life can you Imagine then that we must not Conclude without the breach of good Manners that you and they were hastening his Death this therefore made the Life of the King more dear to his People and it ought to have made him more careful of his own Safety but that Prince that God designs to destroy is delivered up to strong and strang delusions to the end he may be destroyed for not receiving the Truth that relaâ—â—s to his own Peace and Safety I remember in a Letter of this Colemans to Lachaise upon the Marriage of the Prince of Orange he saith thus That the Catholics of England are sorry for the Match but if things were so managed that he may be removed that stands in the gap the Catholic Religion must needs flourish again in England for as much as his Masters Stedfastness and hearty-Zeal of Accomplishing that great Work was not a whit abated and that he did not question but to remove the main Obstacle in time nay he gave such an Incomium of the Queen's Zeal for the Catholic Religion that she would be brought to any thing and plainly said that it was more than time That the French King should Conclude a Peace to joyn in with them this Sir is no laughing Matter this very Passage gave your Brother such sad Apprehensions in the Princâ—s Lodgings that I thought he would have dyed away but the Prince gave him such Advice as
very Obsequious to the Strumpets that were about him yet do but observe what Credit the Parliament of England gave the Witnesses and that through the Power of Truth and Energy that was in the Testimony they gave 1. Upon the Testimony they received from me when I was a single Testimony upon the first of November 1678 the Lords and Commons past this Vote viz. Resolved Nemine Contradicente That upon the Evidence that hath already appeared to this House that this House is of Opinion that there hath been and still is a Damnable and Hellish Plot Contrived and Carried on by the Popish Recusants for the Assassinating and Murthering the King and for the Subverting the Government and Rooting out and Destroying the King To which Vote the Lords agreed Nemine Contradicente 2. The Lord Chancellour Finch that famous Tool reported upon the 28th of November 1678 the effect of a Conference desired by the Commons that upon hearing of the Testimony of Mr. Bedloe and my self that they were in an Amazment when they considered in what danger the Person of the King your Brother was and his Government whereupon they prepared an Address to be presented to the King your Brother to which they desired the Concurrence of the House of Lords and they had the Concurrence of the House of Lords in the said Address and it was accordingly presented to the said King on the 29th by both Houses so that you and your Villains may see that the Discovery of the Popish Plot was not so small a Matter as you would seem to make of it 3. Observe the Address of Parliament on the 21st of March 1679 in which the Parliament did lay before the King your Brother the great Sence they had of the sad and Calamitous Condition of this Kingdom occasioned chiefly by the Impious and Malicious Conspiracies of the Popish Party who had not only Plotted and intended the Distruction of the King your Brother but the total Subversion of the Government and the true Religion established amongst us and therefore they Prayed that a Day might be set a part for Fasting and Prayer and accordingly a Day was set apart but I suppose though you knew of that Day you nor none of your Villains ever kept it 4. Observe the Vote of the 24th of March 1679 Resolved Nemine Contradicente by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and by the Commons in this present Parliament Assembled That they are fully satisfy'd by the Proofs that they have heard that there now is and for divers Years last past hath been a horrid and Treasonable Plot and Conspiracy contrived and carried on by those of the Popish Religion for the Murthering of his Majesties Sacred Person and for the Subverting of the Protestant Religion and the ancient and well established Government of this Kingdom To which Vote Sir give me leave to remind you of the Impeachment of the five Popish Lords upon which Impeachment the Lord Viscount Stafford was tried and found Guilty and suffered the Pains of Death as a Traytor to the King and Kingdom and so fully satisfyed was the Parliament of the Integrity and Truth of the Witnesses that they intended to have proceeded against the rest of the Traytors that none of them could have escaped the Justice of the Nation had not they been dissolved in a most Arbitrary manner 5. Observe the Proceedings of the Parliament against Nathaniel Reading Esq who Corresponded with the Lords in the Tower that stood Impeached for the Popish Plot in their Address to the King your Brother upon the 8th of April 1679 in which they set forth the Inquiry they had made into the Hellish Design that was carried on by the Papists against the Person and Government of the King your Brother and upon Examination they found that he the said Reading had used his utmost endeavours to prevent and suppress the Kings Evidence and as much as in him lay to stifle the Discovery of the said Plot and and thereby to render the same Fallacious and of no Reality and by such undue Means to prevent the Malefactors from coming to Justice therefore they prayed that a Commission of Oyer and Termâ—er might be issued forth for the trying of the said Reading for that Offence Reading was tried and was found Guilty and therefore would have you take notice of what was said by the then Lord chief Justice North when he gave Judgment upon the said Reading I will tell you says he your offence is so great and hath such a Relation to that which the whole Nation is concerned in because it was on attempt to baffle the Evidence of that Conspiracy which if it had not been by the mercy of God detected God knows what might have befallen us all by this time and still the Parliament have it under their Consideration how to prevent any farther mischief by it but this Villain of a Cut-throat had the grace to join with your Brother and you to stifle it as I shall shew you in the next Part of this your sweet Picture 6. Observe the Address of the House of Commons upon the 14th of May upon the Assurance that the King your Brother had given the then Parliament of his constant Care to do every thing that might preserve the Protestant Religion and Government they did upon the said Assurances represent to the King your Brother the deep Sense they had of the state of Religion and shewed the King that the Papists by their Designs against his Person and Government which the said Parliament was resolved to defend gave themselves hopes of Success therefore the Parliament were resolved to apply themselves to the making such Laws as might defeat those Popish Adversaries of their Hopes of gaining any Advantage by any Attempt they should at any time Form against the Person of the King your Brother 7. Another Instance of the Credit the Discovery of the Popish Plot had you may see in this Address of the House of Commons to the King your Brother The ADDRESS to his Majesty from the Commons Saturday Nov. 13 th 1680. May it please your most Excellent Majesty WE your Majesty's most loyal and obedient Subjects the Commons in this present Parliament assembled having taken into our most serious Consideration your Majesty's gracious Message brought unto us the Ninth Day of this instant November by Mr. Secretary Jenkins do with all Thankfulness acknowledg your Majesty's Care and Goodness in inviting us to expedite such Matters as are depending before us relating to Popery and the Plot. And we do in all humility represent to your Majesty that we are fully convinced that it is highly incumbent upon us in discharge both of our Duty to your Majesty and of that great Trust reposed in us by those whom we represent to endeavour by the most speedy and effectual Ways the suppression of Popery within this Kingdom and the bringing to publick Justice all such as shall be found guilty of the horrid and damnable Popish
Party 10. A great number of Officers that were Papists had been imployed and several under half Pay and many other Things of the like Nature All which Particulars laid before your Brother in this Address justify the Credit the Evidences of the Popish Plot had in Parliament But that I may not leave you so I pray peruse the Address it self it was a Swinger I 'll assure you and much to the purpose The humble Address of the Commons in Parliament assembled Presented to his Majesty Munday the 29th of Nov. 1680. May it please your most Excellent Majesty WE your Majesty's most Obedient and Loyal Subjects the Commons in Parliament assembled having with all Duty and Regard taken into our serious Consideration your Majesty's late Message relating to Tangier cannot but account the present Condition of it as your Majesty is pleas'd to represent in your said Message after so vast a Treasure expended to make it useful not only as one Infelicity more added to the afflicted Estate of your Majesty's faithful and loyal Subjects but as one result also of the same Counsels and Designs which have brought your Majesty's Person Crown and Kingdoms into those great and imminent Dangers with which at this Day they are surrounded and we are the less surprised to hear of the Exigencies of Tangier when we remember that since it became a part of your Majesty's Dominions it hath several Times been under the Command of Popish Governors particularly for some Time under the Command of a Lord impeach'd and now Prisoner in the Tower for that execrable and horrid Popish Plot that the Supplies sent thither have been in a great Part made up of Popish Officers and Soldiers and that the Irish Papists amongst the Soldiers of that Garison have been the Persons most countenanced and encouraged To that part of your Majesty's Message which expresses a Reliance upon this House for the Support of Tangier and a Recommendation of it to our speedy Care we do with all Humility and Reverence give this Answer That although in due Time and Order we shall omit nothing incumbent on us for the Preservation of every Part of your Majesty's Dominions and advancing the Prosperity and flourishing Estate of this your Kingdom yet at this Time when a Cloud that hath long threatned this Land is ready to break upon our Heads in a Storm of Ruin and Confusion to enter into any further Consideration of this Matter especially to come to any Resolutions in it before we are effectually secured from the imminent and apparent Dangers arising from the Powâ—r of Popish Persons and Counsels we humbly conceive will not consist either with our Duty to your Majesty or the Trust reposed in us by those we represent It is not unknown to your Majesty how restless the Endeavors and how bold the Attempts of the Popish Party for many Years last past have been not only in this but other your Majesty's Kingdoms to introduce the Romish and utterly to extirpâ—te the Protestant Religion The several Approaches they have made towards the compassing this their Design assisted by the Treachery of perfidious Protestants have been so strangely successful that 't is matter of Admiration to us and which we can only ascribe â—o an over-ruling Providence that your Majesty's Reign is still continued over us and that we are yet assembled to câ—nsult the Means of our Preservation This bloody and restless Party not content with the great Liberty they had a long time enjoyed to exercise their own Religion privately among themselves to partake of an equal Freedom of their Persons and Estates with your Majesties Protestant Subjects and of an Advantage above them in being excused from chargeable Offices and Employments hath so far prevailed as to find Countenance for an open and avowed Practice for their Superstition and Idolatry without controul in several Parts of the Kingdom Great swarms of Priests and Jesuits have resorted hither and have here exercised their Jurisdiction and been daily tampering to pervert the Consciences of your Majesty's Subjects their Opposers they have found means to disgrace and if they were Judges Justices of the Peace or other Magistrates to have them turned out of Commission and in contempt of the known Laws of the Land they have practised upon People of all Ranks and Qualities and gained over divers to their Religion some openly to profess it others secretly to espouse it and most conduced to the Service thereof After some time they became able to influence Matters of State and Government and thereby to destroy those they cannot corrupt The Continuance or Prorogation of Parliaments has been accommodated to serve the Purposes of the Party Money raised upon the People to supply your Majesty's extraordinary Occasions was by the prevalence of Popish Counsels imployed to make War upon a Protestant State and to advance and augment the dreadful Power of the French King though to the apparent Hazard of this and all other Protestant Countries Great Numbers of your Majesty's Subjects were sent into and continued in the Service of that King notwithstanding the apparent Interest of your Majesty's Kingdoms the Addresses of the Parliament and your Majesty's gracious Proclamations to the contrary Nor can we forbear to mention how that at the beginning of the same War even the Ministers of England were made Instruments to press upon that State the acceptance of one Demand among others from the French King for procuring their Peace with him That they should admit the publick Exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion in the Vnited Provinces the Churches there to be divided and the Popish Priests to be maintained out of the publick Revenue At home if your Majesty did at any time by the Advice of your Privy Council or of your Two Houses of Parliament command the Laws to be put in due Execution against Papists even from thence they gained Advantage to their Party while the Edge of those Laws was turned against Protestant Dissenters and the Papists escaped in a manner untoucht The Act of Parliament enjoining a Test to be taken by all Persons admitted into any publick Office and intended for a Security against Papists coming into Employment had so little effect That either by Dispensations obtained from Rome they submitted to those Tests and held their Ofces themselves or those put in their Places were so favourable to the same Interests that Popery it self has rather gained than lost Ground since that Act. But that their Business in hand might yet more speedily and strongly proceed at length a Popish Secretary since executed for his Treasons takes upon him to set a foot and maintain Correspondencies at Rome particularly with a Native Subject of your Majesty 's promoted to be a Cardinal and in the Courts of other foreign Princes to use their own form of Speech for the subduing the pestilent Heresy which has so long domineer'd over this Northern World that is to root out the Protestant Religion out of England and
the said Duke should succeed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm nothing is more manifest than that a total Change of Religion within these Kingdoms would ensue For the Preservation thereof be it Enacted by the King 's most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That the said James Duke of York shall be and is by the Authority of this present Parliament excluded and made for ever incapable to inherit possess or injoy the Imperial Crown of this Realm and of the Kingdoms of Ireland and the Dominions and Territories to them or to either of them belonging or to have exercise or injoy any Dominion Power Jurisdiction or Authority in ihe same Kingdoms Dominions or any of them And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That if the said James Duke of York shall at any Time hereafter challenge claim or attempt to possess or enjoy or shall take upon him to use or exercise any Dominion Power or Authority or Jurisdiction within the said Kingdoms or Dominions or any of them as King or chief Magistrate of the same that then he the said James Duke of York for every such Offence shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of High Treason and shall suffer the Pains Penalties and Forfeitures as in Case of High Treason And further That if any Person or Persons whatever shall assist or maintain abet or willingly adhere unto the said James Duke of York in such Challenge Claim or Attempt or shall of themselves attempt or endeavour to put or bring the said James Duke of York into the Possession or Exercise of any Regal Power Jurisdiction or Authority within the Kingdoms and Dominions aforesaid or shall by writing or preaching advisedly publish maintain or declare That he hath any Right Title or Authority to the Office of King or chief Magistrate of the Kingdoms and Dominions aforesaid that then every such Person shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of High Treason and that he suffer and undergo the Pains Penalties and Forfeitures aforesaid And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That if he the said James Duke of York shall at any time from and after the Fifth of Nov. 1680. return or come into or within any of the Kingdoms or Dominions aforesaid then he the said James Duke of York shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of High Treason and shall suffer the Pains Penalties and Forfeitures as in case of High Treason And further That if any Person or Persons whatsoever shall be aiding or assisting unto such Return of the said James Duke of York that then every such Person shall be deemed and adjudged guilty of High Treason and shall suffer as in cases of High Treason And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That he the said James Duke of York or any other Person being guilty of the Treasons aforesaid shall not be capable of or receive Benefit by any Pardon otherwise than by Act of Parliament wherein they shall be particularly named And that no Noli prosequi or order for stay of Proceedings shall be received in or upon any Indictment for any of the Offences mentioned in this Act. And be it further Enacted and Declared and it is hereby Enacted and Declared That it shall and may be Lawful to and for any Magistrates Officers and other Subjects whatsoever of these Kingdoms and Dominions oforesaid and they are hereby enjoyned and required to apprehend and secure the said James Duke of York and every other Person offending in any of the Premises and with him or them in case of Resistance to fight and him or them by force to subdue for all which Actings and for so doing they are and shall be by Virtue of this Act saved harmless and indemnified Provided and it is hereby Declared That nothing in this Act contained shall be construed deemed or adjudged to disenable any other Person from inheriting and injoying the Imperial Crown of the Realms and Dominions aforesaid other then the said James Duke of York but that in case the said James Duke of York should survive his now Majesty and the Heirs of his Majesty's Body the said Imperial Crown shall descend to and be injoyed by such Person or Persons successively during the Life of the said James Duke of York as should have inherited and injoyed the same in case the said James Duke of York were naturally dead any thing contained in this Act to the contrary notwithstanding And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That during the Life of the said James Duke of York this Act shall be given in charge at every Assizes and General Sessions of the Peace within the Kingdoms Dominions and Territories aforesaid and also shall be openly read in every Cathedral Church and Parish Church and Chappels within the aforesaid Kingdoms Dominions and Territories by the several respective Parsons Vicars Curates and Readers thereof who are hereby required immediately after Divine Service in the Forenoon to read the same twice in every Year that is to say on the 25th of December and upon Easter Day during the Life of the said James Duke of York Which Bill was Read thrice and Passed the House of Commons and upon its being Rejected in the House of Peers behold this Address to the King your Brother The humble Address of the House of Commons presented unto his Majesty upon Tuesday the 21 th of December 1680. in answer to his Majesty's Gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament upon the 15 th Day of the same December May it please your most Excellent Majesty WE your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects the Commons in this present Parliament assembled having taken into our serious Consideration your Majesty's gracious Speech to both your Houses of Parliament on the Fifteenth of this instant December and do with all the grateful Sence of faithful Subjects and sincere Protestants acknowledg your Majesty's great Goodness to us in renewing the Assurances you have been pleased to give us of your Readiness to concur with us in any means for the Security of the Protestant Religion and your gracious Invitation of us to make our Desires known to your Majesty But with grief of Heart we cannot but observe That to these Princely Offers your Majâ—sty has been advised by what secret Enemies to your Majesty and your People we know not to annex a Reservation which if insisted on in the Instance to which alone it is applicahle will render all your Majesty 's other gracious Inclinations of no Effect or Advantage to us Your Majesty is pleased thus to limit your Promise of concurrence in the Remedies which shall be proposed That they may consist with preserving the Succession of the Crown in its due and legal Course of Descent ond we do humbly inform your Majesty That no Interruption of that Descent has been endeavoured
ΕΙΚΩΠΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΗ ΤΕΤΑΡΤΗ OR THE PICTURE OF THE Late King James Further drawn to the LIFE In which is made manifest by several Articles That the whole Course of his Life hath been a continued Conspiracy against the Protestant Religion Laws and Liberties of the Three Kingdoms In a Letter to Himself The Fourth Part. By TITVS OATES D. D. LONDON Printed and are to be sold by Richard Baldwin 〈◊〉 the Oxford-Arms Inn in Warwick-Lane MDCXCVII TO His most Excellent Majesty WILLIAM III. By the Grace of God And the Choice of the Good People of England Of Great Britain France and Ireland Rightful and Lawful KING Defender of the Faith and Restorer of our LAWS and LIBERTIES As well as the Victorious PROTECTOR of Oppress'd Europe TITVS OATES D. D. His Faithful Dutiful and Loyal Subject and Servant most humbly dedicates this ensuing MEMORIAL ΕΙΚΩΠΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΗ ΤΕΤΑΡΤΗ Or The Fourth Part of the Picture of the Late King JAMES SIR I Know you expect I should be as good as my word and truly so I will to the utmost of my poor power because of the great regard I have for your Person Cause and Interest and before I enter upon any more lines of your sweet face in order to perfect your Picture let us take a dish of drink together and give you a true state of your interest here in England and when we consider the excellent qualifications of your Hell-born Crew here you may easily conclude what a nasty pickle you and my old Landlady are in and that I shall do in these six particulars 1. Your Cattel here have acted their parts in tampering to make parties against the present Government which parties were to have been made either of your Friends or your Enemies the former are such a parcel of Cowardly Rascals that to tell you the truth as they quitted your Father in the time when he had most occasion for them so they did you witness your friends both here and in Scotland too notwithstanding the application they made by your especial direction to Sir Timothy Stiff-Jaws when old Preston's hopeful design was baffled by the vigilance of the present Government nay I doubt not but that they might by Scotch Robin have made some effort of that nature upon some of our Dissenters but alas it was to no purpose for they understood their Interest as well as an old friend of yours did of cheating your Brother of a tickling summ you know for what use and therefore all attempts if ever any were to all intents and purposes fruitless and vain well I pray what tools did you make use of very sorry ones upon my word a sort of people whose persons were neither known nor had they credit for a two-penny Loaf persons not able to make you a party worth the mentioning nor can I by the best enquiry I can make tell who set them on work or what Warrant or Authority they have for what they do for if one should ask Sir Timothy Stiff-Jaws to whom as I said before they were to make application he would swear by my Landlady's white hand that he knew never a Rogue of them all and would not lose his good Preferment as long as there was a shilling to be got though I must tell you that in spight of the Whore his neighbour he hath quitted his Post since a penny could not be got in it with any great matter of content he is now at Grass and waits dear Sir for a comfortable minute that he may have my Landlady by the hand again without disturbance I suppose he might make you under-hand half a dozen poor Curs and these the Rogues call a Party and a Party for you and upon the strength of these Fellows impudence your nonsensical Crew shamm'd a simple Declaration from you bearing date from St. Germains which did you more hurt than the Fishermen of Feversham could do for their hearts blood Well when your gracious Declaration came Lord What a stir they made with it and publish it they would hand over head without any regard had for the Publishers and disposers of the same or the least thought of making any provision for those willing Vermin that lay at the mercy of our Government to be drawn hang'd and quartered for such an eminent piece of service and some of them have taken a civil swing tho much ado before they could be perswaded to it You was not pleased to put us off with one Declaration but a second and a third was issued forth bearing date from St. Germains in which you lovingly declared what great and good things they should have the Lord knows when if they would but meet you the Lord knows where But I pray Sir why did you reflect upon the ingratitude of some of your old Friends Alas alas you did not well consider that they might be got into good employments in which they were to Battle their sweet Bodies for a convenient season or it may be if some of them had been so scandalous that they could not get into an employment of considerable trust they were got behind the Hangings with a comfortable Pension to the end that they may use King William in that Post as they did you when you employed them Nay sweet Sir now I think on 't there is your old Friend Sir Simkin you know who turned Whig to betray the Whigs to your Brother and then he turned Tory to betray your Brother to the Whigs then turned Papist to betray your good Worship what could you do with such a Spark if he should take the other turn but keep him behind the Hangings to do some job or another tho it cost you two or three thousand pounds per annum for Secret service for in my conscience Rhiming Jack Carryl and the rest of your doughty Crew at St. Germains would scarce sit at Council-board with him he would be so scandalous he saith he is a man of good parts and wouâ—d himself sign a Certificate even upon Oath since honour hath so long been a stranger to him yet none of your poor humble Curs now with you would be seen in his company for forty shillings a man lest he should betray you once more Come let me ask you one civil question if you should be King of Poland or Jerusalem or Ushant or Bell Isle Would you ever admit him so much as Clerk of your Kitchen truly you must have the Grace of a great deal of good Nature to believe him worthy of such an Employ for since he hath made so many turns let him have nothing with you but that of a Turnspit he being too lend for any else yet for all this this Case-hardened Coxcomb that brags of doing great feats for the support of our Government hath pretended to such an Interest with you and my very good Landlady that one would think that he was ready to make another turn and some of your Cattle here would fain make us believe he is doing
you desire more truly Sir it was not well enough yet for not only Arlington put a great many tricks upon you and your French Pensioners had not been so close to you as they might have been if they would have put on Courage enough these you thought you might have weathered but alas Sir here was a Parliament yea a Parliament in the way that had done a thousand Rogueries against you and your party Truly Sir I pity you much what was to be done in this case I have you much in my heart for all your barbarous civilities you have shewed me yet I cannot in the abundance of my grief for you forbear laughing to see what a sad pickle you were in but as angry as you were with Arlington you could not avoid grinning at your tools to see what a distress you had brought them to for if they left you you were resolved to destroy them and if they engaged with you the Parliament would do the like therefore nothing could save you and your interest but the dissolution of that haughty Parliament Come chear up in the midst of these troubles and afflictions the old enemy of mankind stood by you for the Cause was not so low but you found a revivate you know that the French King did dispatch Letters to your Brother and pressed him to a dissolution of the Parliament and promised him a good Pension provided he would never call another was not here a friend at a pinch well what did you do in return of this favour Truly you make him a French Grimace and promise that you will improve this Royal favour of his truly it was but fit you should for there was a necessity that you should be rid of the Parliament for your Pensioners had plaid you several Jades tricks and had been very resty for several Sessions so that you could neither make them lead nor drive therefore by the advice of your Council at St. James's the French King was heartily applied to and pressed with much earnestness to write his thoughts freely to the King your Brother which you know he did and a summ of Money was sent as an earnest of the French Kings affection to your Brother and now you were in hopes all would do well but April comes and the Parliament met and no Parliament dissolved but another prorogation you upon this was very warm with your Brother upon the matter and how could he answer this to the French King At last your Brother dealt freely with you as the French King had done with him and told you that he could not tell which way to incline the Arguments indeed you and your party had used as also the French King for the dissolution were exceeding strong and not well to be answered and the Arguments for its continuance were as strong but to your great grief there was one standing Argument that carried the King your Brother on to continue them and that was this if he did try them once more they might give him Money if they did then your Brother would have gained his point and Portsmouth hers if they did not then your Brother told you he could dissolve them upon their refusal and be as he was so that he told them he was in a possibility of getting Money by their continuance But did you not see the cheat of your Brothers Argument and if you had had any Brains you would have turned the Argument upon him and have told him plain that a dissolution would have certainly procured Money and the certainty of three hundred thousand pound a year was better than the bare possibility of getting Money by the continuance of the Parliament Your Brother repented of his refusing the French Kings offer for in the year 1676 a gracious Compliance of Governing without Parliaments a la mode de France But the French Kings Maw was not set that way at that time but you good man according to your Propositions got what you aimed at in order to have your party ready to rise to do the work and tho the French King could not dissolve the Parliament he went thorow-stitch with you to dissolve both our Religion and Government this was the first great support you had 2. You had the General of the Jesuits that was another great support in your design for you did not only make application to the French King but also to him the said General of the Jesuits divers Letters were written at which time the state of the Jesuits was such that they could not contribute much they were content to part with what they were able but there was a necessity of a great Sum to begin the War to which end they were very confident that his most Christian Majesty notwithstanding the great and chargeable War in which he was ingaged against the Confederates would do what in him lay for the Restauration of the Catholick Religion in England and that therefore his Reverence was applied to do his part you may remember that Coleman your Secretary not only in your name but I suppose also by your Order did make application to his Reverence about the same Affair you did not wait long but you had the Sum of Eight Hundred Thousand Crowns that was transmitted to Coleman your Secretary by Bills under the name of Dr. Gibbs a Physician that lived at Rome and they was paid at four payments the Bills were received by one Busby a Merchant then living in London and some other of your faithful Crew in that City and at that time you may remember that the said General of the Jesuits was with much difficulty perswaded to take upon himself the Signing Commissions that were to be Issued for the Offices both Civil and Military and Ecclesiastical too so that no damage might accrue to you in case any should be so wicked as to discover the Design and that this thing might appear in its self improbable and at the time of the advice of the Monies being returned he was pleased to signifie the same to Barrillon at which you were much offended that he had not done it to your Secretary this particular passage may satisfie all mankind that you were resolved to quit the Cause with as much Honour as you could but notwithstanding when the Plot was discovered the Word saw that it was not the General of the Jesuits that was so much the leader of this Conspiracy tho' heartily engaged in it as your self and the French King and that his Signing the Commissions was but a blind to screen you from the publick Justice of the Nation and also to defend your Villainous Ally from the vengeance of the whole Protestant Interest of Europe in which quarrel those Princes that were not of the Romish Church would have not have stood neuters in so Just a Cause 3. The Bishop of Rome was another Support for when the said General of the Jesuits had undertaken the point relating to Money and had transmitted the same he
England should ever be reconciled At which words Bishop Gulston took offence and departed There were others of the same Kidney but your inferiour Clergy were without number there was your Thompson of Bristol and your rascally Chaplains and others Rogues of a deep dye These I say Sir were your reverend Assistants in the mighty Work upon your hands though they did not foresee the evil Consequences of this their Carriage in reference to the Interest of England both as to its Religion and Government Nay I hope they did not fully see into your Designs if they did you I hope will judge of them according to their Merits 5. You being so well guarded and regarded you were in a little time resolved to set up and shew your self and wicked Party what you would be at but Sir I took pity upon you and would not let you discover your self and therefore I laid it open and the Design of your Pope French King General of the Jesuites and the Society and your Brother and your self which was the reduction of England Scotland and Ireland by the Sword to the Romish Religion and the French way of Government To effect this glorious Design you and your Brother gave the then Pope Authority to entitle himself to the Kingdoms of England Ireland and Scotland to have the absolute Power and Government of the Church In order to this he dispatched his Legate into Ireland and Cardinal Howard was to have come for England and your Brother 's trusty and well-beloved Cuckold and Councellor was to have had a Cardinals Hat and was to have gone for Scotland to have taken Possession of the Ecclesiastical State of that Kingdom in the behalf of the Bishop of Rome the two others were to do the like in England and Ireland Moreover sir by your Brother and you it was contrived and agreed on that the General of the Jesuites should derive a pretended Power from the Bishop of Rome with which Project the French King was highly pleased According to this Project the Bishop of Rome did grant a Commission to the said General of the Jesuites and this Authority the said General did derive to Thomas White the Provincial to issue forth the Commissions of him the said General of the Jesuites and accordingly be with the Counsel of the Jesuites in London did issue forth such Commissions to Captain-Generals Lieutenant-Generals and Colonels Lieutenant-Colonels Majors Captains and the Advocate-General Richard Langhorn and to your Secretary of State Coleman you have a whole List of them in my Narrative already printed and published for your special service altho' not by your Royal Command Further to carry on your wicked Designs your Jesuites by the same Authority consulted concerning your Brother and because he was not a Galloper in your Cause he was by them condemned to death and that was to be executed either by stabbing shooting or poysoning him To this your Servant Coleman was privy and say you know nothing of the matter if you dare to this part of the Conspiracy The Court of Claims in Ireland if they had then been sitting would have declared him Innocent upon your Letter as they did the Marquis of Antrim upon your Brother 's nay Sir if they had carried their Point then you were to have received the Crowns as forfeited by your Brother to the Pope as of his Gift and you was to have been obliged to have such Prelates and Dignitaries in the Church and such Officers in Commands and Places civil naval and military as he had and should commissionate and you had agreed both with him and the French King to extirpate the Protestant Religion and to consent to the Assassination of the King your Brother and to massacre by the help and assistance of the French King the Protestants to Fire our Towns that stood in opposition to these cruel designs of yours You agreed to pardon the Assassines Murderers and Incendiaries and in case you died without Issue male these three Kingdoms were to be made three Provinces of France and become Subjects of that Crown for ever Here your Brother and you were engaged to the French King And that the Prince of Orange might not pretend to the same he was also condemned and designed against by Name by the Proviso and Consent of the Pope French King your Brother and your self and how you appear'd in the Design against him I have already set forth in my first Memorial to you Truly you your self must not have escaped if you had not heartily comply'd to follow such Steps and Counsels as should have been at any time proposed by your Counsellors at St. James's You have here laid before you the design in short and it was a black one God knows and What say you to it now Sir if you will let the little Gentleman of Wales learn to read I have a good Schoolmaster for him he may see here the true Picture of your sweet self which he may spell over by degrees for I would not have the Boy have too much load at a time laid upon him lest he should be disabled from serving the Tyler his true Father with a Hod of Mortar or so in order to its conformable Livelihood 6. Concerning the discovery of this Plot of yours 't is fit a word should be spoken to that point because I believe the revival of this Story will much oblige you and your ragged Crew at St. Germain's and your Saints you have left behind you You may remember that your design prosper'd so well and your damnable Arâ—y were so insolent that notwithstanding the fair pretences your Brother and you used for the keeping them up and your old Parliament briber put your Brother upon the asking of more Mony and no War with France notwithstanding they had so largely paid for the War they had advised to be begun with that mighty Monarch and they consider'd that an Army without a War would be of dangerous and pernicious consequence to the Nation therefore they agreed to this Vote in answer to your Brother's Speech made to them some time before Resolved That the House taking into consideration the state of His Majesty's Affairs and the great charge and burthen His Majesty and the Nation lies under by the Army now in being we humbly are of opinion that if His Majesty pleases to enter into a War with the French King the House is and always will be ready to support and assist in that War but if otherwise then they will proceed to the consideration of providing for the speedy disbanding of the Army And truly dear Sir you could not well blame the Parliament for this Vote for your design in general did to them appear notwithstanding the plausible Arguments your Villains used for the keeping up of that Popish Army tho' you know this disbanding the Army was not the thing you aimed at for you never designed it from the first moment that it was raised for it being Officer'd to your
in His Majesty's Cloak Here the King interrupted me and commanded me to take no farther notice of that business and declar'd he knew more than I could tell him in that affair of Killigrew's Man but he harped much upon the great Jealousie that the People had of him and that it was much encreas'd by ill men that did labour to possess the Peoples minds against him and said that unless extraordinary care was taken the Fanatick Party would rebel and inveigh'd very much against the Dissenters and said that he thought himself in as much danger from them as from the Popish Party And many things passed betwixt the King your Brother and my self of this nature and he told me that the Parliament was ready to meet and he did not question but that they would take upon them the examination of the Plot and that if I carried it prudently before them I should never want a Friend of him and whereas I had not acquainted him as yet with the Names of the Great Men concern'd I would then tell him But truly Sir I with all decency to the Publick refus'd to tell your Brother any thing more but told him the Parliament would have the Examination of the Plot and therefore they should have the Names of the great Lords concern'd in it The King parted from me in a heat and the Prince commended me for keeping their Names conceal'd and I suppose according to his usual way he graciously communicated this Discourse to you for the next time you met with me you shew'd all the Lines of your silly Face to be enrag'd against me and gave me some hard words which I did not well hear St. Parliaments day came on and I well remember what a Stiâ— there was at Portsmouth's lodging that morning and that Whore had advised my being close confined but I went to see how the Jade looked that morning and to thank her for the counsel she gave the King but I would not see her and there I was forced to salute her by proxy and gave her two or three of her right Names and eke mine and the Nations Blessing and returning to my Lodgings I met with your good self and I saw much Guilt in your Face and you gave me an ill look or two and so I fairly got rid of the sweet Face of you but this I must have you to remember that the King your Brother would have given me any thing that I could have asked if I would have fained my self sick and not to have appeared in Parliament but that would not take with me for I was resolved not to lose two years Labour to comply with him for I had the publick good upon my Soul and that God knows was my main design The Parliament being met you know that the old Gentleman made a gracious Speech to both Houses and after that he had given some of your Conspirators reasons for the keeping up of his Army he then tells them of the Jesuits Plot but not a word of yours and Coleman and said that he left the Jesuits to the Law and that he would take as much care to prevent all manner of ill Practices of those men and others too who had been tampering in a high degree with Forreigners to introduce Popery by this Sir he brought himself into the Plot and so much shall serve for his Speech After him Roscius enters with his Knaves Face and he acquaints the Parliament with the necessity of the Governments breaking the Law in keeping up the Army and tells them they must be contented with it for this time and not only so but they must pay for it too nay further impudently tells them they could not but be well pleased with it into the bargain I wonder that ever a King would sit on a Throne with Patience to hear the Logger-head make some fulsome nonsensical Speech as that was nay if you had but observed with what a shitten Countenance he brought in a poor mauled damned Plot to beg mony withal and oh with what humble Grimmaces he addressed the House of Commons as if the Villain had lain under the Guilt of a Thousand Burglaries but the House of Commons finding the Note extreamly changed from what it was at their last parting they immediaâ—ely fell upon that part of the King's Speech that related to the Popish Plot and mighty angry they were at the violating the Law and misusing the Mony given for the disbanding of the same Well both Houses set to it with all diligence and looked into the Plot that they might find out all the Authors of the Nations Misery and Ruine and in order to find out the bottom of this Hellish Conspiracy they appointed Committees to inspect and find out and enquire into the Murder of Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey and Addresses from both Houses were almost every day voted for the banishing of the Papists or to have the Papers relating to the Popish Plot deliver'd to them to examine and to have the Militia of London and Middlesex raised and Pardons for the Witnesses And to all Human Reason you and your Rascally Crew appear'd to be but in a nasty condition And truly the Plot took so much of the Parliaments time that there was scarce leisure to make one motion for a Supply insomuch that Portsmouth and her Servant Nell talked of retrenching their Expences And what was the matter The Whores saw that the Parliament â—ound that all Care was little enough to discover what had been acted by your Villains and to come at the bottom to know who they were and then to take care for further preservation Lord what Change was here the two Houses had no longer hard Thoughts of the Fanaticks but the Papists was their only Trouble Come Sir wipe that sweaty Face of yours and don't cry here 's a word of Comfort for you read on a little Were the Houses of Parliament so diligent Yes they were What then old Rowly was too hard for them for notwithstanding the daily Applications of many worthy persons of both Houses he would not let your Saints lose one Inch of his Affections to them for the Villains were so powerful and prevalent at Court that divers of the chiefest Papers were mislaid and whatever was privately done in either House by their secret Committees for the discovery of the Plot false Brethren got in amongst them and gave Intelligence amongst whom was a squint-ey'd Friend of yours the Rogue is not yet hang'd but the Gallows hath groan'd for him many a Year if you will not believe me you may ask my Lady Jefferies And to give you and your Rogues your due you conceal'd every thing you could get conceal'd such was your diligence but yet as much as you did conceal there was enough left to shew the World that there was a Plot and a villanous one and that you were at the head of it in order to root up the Protestant Religion and destroy the Government which
the business then Coleman falls to arguing again with your new Correspondent Father Lachaise who succeeded Ferryer in the Office of a Confessor to the French King your Ally with whom he so prevail'd that the French King was wholly of Coleman's Opinion and your own and testified it in a Letter to your self which â—ore date June the second and I suppose you was so much a Gentleman as to answer his Letter you being a most humble Admirer of the said French King that you would not only write to him but also to his Father Confessor in these words as follows Your Letter to Monsieur Lachaise the French King's Confessor THE Second of June last past his most Christian Majesty offer'd me most generously his Friendship and the use of his Purse to the Assistance against the Designs of my Enemies and his and protested unto me that his Interest and mine were so clearly link'd together that those that opposed the one should be look'd upon as Enemies to the other and told me moreover his Opinion of my Lord Arlington and the Parliament which is That he is of Opinion that neither the one nor the other is in his Interest or mine and thereupon he desir'd me to make such Propositions as I should think fit In this conjuncture all was transacted by the means of Father Ferryer who made use of Sir William Throgmorton who is an honest man and of Truth who was then at Paris and hath held Correspondence with Coleman one of my Family in whom I have great Confidence I was much satisfied to see his most Christian Majesty altogether of my Opinion so I made him answer by the 29th of June by the same means he made use of to write to me that is by Coleman who address'd himself to Father Ferryer by the foremention'd Knight and entirely agreed to his most Christian Majesty and that it was necessary to make use of our joint and utmost Credits to prevent the Success of those evil Designs resolv'd on by the Lord Arlington and the Parliament against his most Christian Majesty and my self which of my side I promise really to perform of which since that time I have given reasonable good Proof Moreover I made some Proposals which I thought necessary to bring to pass what we are obliged to undertake assuring him that nothing could so firmly establish our Interest with the King my Brother as that very same Offer of the help of his Purse by which means I had much reason to hope I should be enabled to the dissolving of the Parliament and to make void the Designs of my Lord Arlington who works incessantly to advance the Interest of the Prince of Orange and the Hollanders and to lessen that of the King your Master notwithstanding the Protestations he hath made to this hour to render him Service but as to that which was proposed 't was at a stand by reason of the Sickness of Father Ferryer so our Affairs succeeded not according to our Designsâ— only Father Ferryer wrote to me the 15th of the last Month That he had communicated those Propositions to his most Christian Majesty and that they had been very well liked of but as they contain'd things that had regard to the Catholick Religion and to the Offer and Vse of his Purse he gave me to understand he did not desire I should treat with Monsieur Revigny upon the first but as to the last and had the same time acquainted me that Monsieur Revigny had Order to grant me whatsoever the conjuncture of our Affairs did require and have expected the effects of it to this very hour but nothing being done in it and seeing on the other hand that my Lord Arlington and several others endeavour'd by a thousand Deceits to break the good Intelligence which is between the King my Brother his most Christian Majesty and my self to the end they might deceive us all three I have thought fit to advertise you of all that is past and desire of you your Assistance and Friendship to prevent the Rogueries of those who have no other design than to betray the Concerâ—s of France and England also and who by their pretended Service are the occasion they succeed not As to any more I refer you to Sir William Throgmorton and Coleman whom I have commanded to give you an account of the whole state of our Affair and the true condition of England with many others and principally my Lord Arlington's Endeavours to represent to you quite otherwise than it is The two first I mention'd to you are firm to my Interest so that you may treat with them without any apprehension This Letter your Cattle would have to be counterfeited by Coleman but your Brother saw the Copy of the French King's Letter and might have seen the Original if he had been as honest as I was earnest to have your Papers seiz'd as well as Coleman's But that Letter was full of very gracious Expressions to you and in it he blamed your Friends for not having done the Great Work which that King said would embarrass all your Affairs and what that was a Man might easily guess for the Reason he gave was an explication of it that there was not the least Trust to be put in him No sooner had King CHARLES read this Letter but he was very much startled Now the destruction of the Prince of Orange was pointed at in plain words at length and it 's well known that the French King then would not agree to the Summ of Three hundred Thousand pounds for your Brother's Use but for your own and the Pension of Three hundred Thousand pounds per Annum was setled upon you Now this Summ and this Pension was not the Pension that your Brother aimed at for this was fixed three Years before that was sought And Coleman had his Twenty thousaâ—d pounds which he truly made use of for the Ends for which it was given him and that you well knew and blamed Coleman for his parting with such a sum of Money in so little a compass of time as eighteen Months but when he had given you to give him his due a true account you â—old him That he had been a faithful Servant and that he should never want such a summ of Money to serve the Cause And it 's well known that none lived at a more noble rate than Coleman considering his Quality and well he might he having so good a Pension from France and not an inconsiderable one from Rome The next thing I present you withall to bite upon was his Declaration Prepared for the dissolving the long Parliament of which I suppose you know no more then you did of the long Letter or of that you Wrote to Lachaise and how that devilish band of Pensioners are Treated the world may see if they will be but as diligent in Observing as you was Vigilant in Carrying on your Cursed Designs against our Laws Liberties and Religion they will find that
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 uâ—most 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 well 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 was 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 conâ—idently 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 suprized 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 in was impossible to divide them without destroying them all Vpon 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 than 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 continâ—ing 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 was fully jaâ—isfyed of his R. H's good intention towards him and that he esteemed both their interests but as one and the same that my Lord Arliâ—gton 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 Power and Purse to have a new 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 withal 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 Thorckmorton 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 foâ— his Majesty that he was fully convinced that their Interests were both one that my Lord Arlington and the Parliament were 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 is 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 Constitution of our Parliaments being sucâ— that a new one can never hart 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 preâ—ure a Peace which proposition was granted by every Body I Conversed withal even with Monsieur Rouvigny himself with whom I took liberty of discoâ—rsing so far but durst not say any thing of the Inteligence 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 he should dissolve or continue them and he several times declared that the Arguments were so strong on both sides that he could not tell to which to incline but was carried at last to the continuance of them by this one Argument If I try them once more they may possibly give me Money If they do I have gain'd my point If they do not I can dissolve them then and be where I am now so that I have a possibility at least of getting Money for their Continuance against nothing on the other side But if we could have turned this Argument and said Sir their Dissolution will certainly procure you Money when you have only a bare possibility of getting any by their Continuance and have shewn how far that bare possibility was from being a foundation to build any reasonable hope upon which I am sure his Majesty was sensible of and how much 300000 l. sterl certain which was the Sum we propos'd was better than a bare possibility without any reason to hope that that could ever be compassed of having half so much more which was the most he design'd to ask upon such vile dishonourable terms and a thousand other hazards which he had great reason to be afraid of If I say we had had power to have argued this I am most confidently assured we could have compassed it for Logick in our Court built upon Money has more powerful Charms then any other sort of
reasoning But to secure his most Christian Majesty from any hazard as to that point I propos'd his Majesty should offer that sum upon that condition and if the condition were not perfomed the Money should never be due if it were and that a Peace would certainly follow thereupon which no Body doubted his Majesty would gain his Ends and save all the vast expences of the next Campaign by which he could not hope to better his Condition or put himself into more advantagious Circumstances of Treaty then he was then in but might very probably be in a much worse considering the mighty opposition he was like to meet with and the uncertain Chances of War But admitting that his Majesty could by his great strength and Conduct maintain himself in as good a Condition to Treat the next year as he was then in which was as much as could then reasonably be hoped for be should have saved by this Proposal as much as all the Men he must needs lose and all the charges he should be at in a year would be valued to amount to more than 300000 l. sterl and so much more in case his Condition should decay as it should be worse then it was when this vvas made and the Condition of his R. H. and of the Catholic Religion here vvhich depends very much upon the success of His most Christian Majesty delivered from a great many frights and real hazards F. Ferryer seem'd to be very sensible of the Benefit all parties vvould gain by this Proposal But yet it vvas unfortunately delay'd by an unhappy and â—edious â—it of sickness vvhich kept him so long from the King in the France Comte and made him so unable to vvait on his Majesty after he did return to Paris But so soon as he could compass it he vvas pleased to acquaint his Majesty vvith it and vvrote to the Duke himself and did me the Honour to vvrite unto me also on the 15th of September 1674. and sent his Letter by Sir William Throckmorton vvho came express upon that Errand In these Letters he gave his R. H. fresh assurance of his most Christian Majesties friendship and of his Zeal and Readiness to comply with every thing His R. H. had or should think â—it to propose in favour of Religion or the business of Money And that he had commanded Monsieur Rouvigny as to the latter to Treat and deal with his R. H. and to receive and observe his Orders and Directions but desired that he might not at all be concerned as to the former but that his R. H. would cause what Proposition he should think â—it to be made about Religion to be offered either to Father Ferryer or Mounsieur Pompone These Letters came to us about the middle of September and his R. H. expected daily when Monsieur Rouvigny should speak to him about the subject of that Letter but he took no notice at all of any thing till the 29th of September the evening before the King and Duke went to Newmarket for afortnight and then only said that he had Commands from his Master to give his R. H. the most firm assurance of his Friendship imaginable or something to that purpose making his R. H. a general Complement but made no mention of any particular Orders relating to Father Ferryer's Letter The Duke wondering at this proceeding and being obliged to stay a good part of October at Newmarket and soon after his coming back hearing of the Death of Father Ferryer he gave over all further prosecuting of the former Projects But I believe I saw Monsieur Rouvigny's policy all along who was willing to save his Masters Money upon assurance that we would do all we could to stave off the Parliament for our own sakes that that we would struggle as hard without money as with it and we having by that time upon our own Interest prevailed to get the Parliament Prorogued to the 13th of April he thought that Prorogation being to a day so high in the Spring would put the Confederates so far beyond their Measures as that it might procure a Peace and be as useful to France as a Dissolution Vpon these Reasons I suppose he went I had several discourses with him and did open my self so far to him as to say I could wish his Master would give us leave to offer to our Master 300000 l. for the Dissolution of the Parliament and shewed him that a Peace would mâ—st certainly follow a Dissolution which he agreed with me in and that we desir'd not the Money from his Master to excite our wills or to make us more industrious to use our utmost powers to procure a Dissolution but to strengthen our Power and Credit with the King and to render us more capable to succeed with his Majesty as mâ—st certainly we should have done had we been fortified with such an Argument To this Purpose I press'd Mounsieur Pompone frequently by Sir William Throckmorton who returned hence again into France on the 10th of November the day our Parliament should have met but was Prorogued Mounsieur Pompone as I was informed by Sir William did seem to approve the thing but yet had Two Objections against it First That the Sum we proposed was Great and couâ—d be very ill spared in the circumstances his Most Christian Majesty was in To which we Answered That if by his Expending that Sum he could procure a Dissolution of our Parliament and thereby a Peace which every body agreed would necessarily follow His Most Christian Majesty would gain his Ends and save Five or Ten times a greater Sum and so be a good Husband by his Expence and if we did not procure a Dissolution he should not be at that Expence at all for that we Desired â—â—m only to promise upon that Condition which we were content to be Obliged to perform first The Second Objection was The Duke did not move nor appear in it Himself To that we Answered That he did not indeed to Mounsieur Pompone because he had found so ill an effect of the Negotiation with Father Ferryer when it came into Mounsieur Rouvigny 's hands but that he had concerned himself in it to Father Ferryer Yet I continued to prosecute and press the Dissolution of the Parliament detesting all Prorogations as only so much loss of time and a means of strengthning all those who depend upon it in Opposition to the Crown the Interest of France and Catholic Religion in the Opinion they had taken That our King durst not part with his Parliament apprehending that another would be much Worse Second That he could not live long without a Parliament therefore they must suddenly Meet and the longer he kept them Off the greater his Necessity would grow and consequently their power to make him do what they listed would increase accordingly And therefore if they could but maintain themselves a while the day would certainly come in a short time in which they should be
having turned their Faces the Parliament would â—o so too and still be against them and be as little for Pâ—rsecution then as they had been for Popery before This I underâ—ook to manage for the Duke and the King of France 's Interest and assured Mounsier Rouvigny which I am sure he will testify if occasion serves that â—â—at Sessions should do neither of them any hurt for that I was sure I had power enough to prevenâ— mischief though I â—urst not engage for any good they would do because I had but very few assistances to carry on the â—orâ— and wanted those helps which others had of making friends The Dutch and Spainaâ—d spared no pains nor expence of Money to animate as many as they could against France Our Lord Treasurer Lord Keeper all the Bishops and such as call'd themselves Old Cavaliers who were all then as one man were not less industrious against Popery and had the Purse at their Girdle too which is an Excellent Instrument to gain Friends with and all Vnited against the Duke â—â— Patron both of France and Catholick Religion To deal with all this Force we had no Money but what came from a few private hands and those so mean ones too that I dare venture to say that I spent mâ—re my particular self out of my own Fortune and upon my single Credit than all the whole Body of Catholickâ— in England besides which was so inconsiderable in comparison of what our Adversaries commanded and we verily believe did bestow in making their Party that it is not worth mentioning Yet notwithstanding all this we saw that by the help of the Nonconfâ—rmists as Presbyterians Independents and other Sects who were as much afraid of Persecution as our selves and of the Enemies of the Ministers and particularly of the Treasurer who by that time had supplâ—nted the Earl of Arlington and was grown sole manager of all Affairs himself we should be very able to prevent what they designed against us and so render the Sessions ineffectual to their Ends though we might not be able to compass our own which were to make some brisk step in Favour of his R. H. to shew the King that his Majesties Affairs in Parliament were not Obstructed by reason of any Aversion they had to his R. H 's Person or apprehensions they had of him or his Religion But from Faction and Ambition in some and from a real dissatisfaction in others that we have not had such Fruits and good Effects of those great sums of Money which have been formerly given as was expected If we could have made but one such stâ—p the King would have certainly have restored his R. H. to all his Commissions upon which he would have been much greater than ever yet he was in his whole Life or could probably ever have been by any other Course in the World than what he had taken of becoming 〈◊〉 c. And we were so very near gaining this Point that I did humbly beg his 〈…〉 â—o put the Parliament upon making an Address to the King that his Majesty 〈◊〉 be pleased to put the Fleet into the hands of his R. H. as the only Person likely to give a good 〈◊〉 of so impâ—â—tant a Charge as that was to the Kingdom And shewed his R. H. such Reasons â—â—â—â—rswade him that we could carry it that he agreed with me in it that be believ'd â—e could 〈◊〉 others telling him â—ew great a Damage it would be to him if he should miss in such aâ— undertaking which for my part I could not then see nor do I yet he was prevailed upon not to venture though he was preswaded he could carry it I did Communicate this Design of â—ine to Mâ—â—nsieur Râ—â—â—lgny who agreed with me that it would be the greatest advantage imaginable to 〈◊〉 Master to have the Dukes Power and Credit so far Advanced as this would certainly do if we could composs it I shewed him all the Difficulty we were like to meet with and what helps we should have but that we should want one very matterial one Money to carry on the Wâ—â—k as we ought and therefore I do Confess I did shamefully beg his Masters Help and would willingly have been in â—verlâ—sting Disgrace with all the World if I had not with that assistance of Twenty Thousand Pounâ—s Sterling which perhaps is not the tenth part of what was spent on the other side 〈◊〉 is evident to the Duke that he could not have missed it Mounsieur Râ—uvignâ— used to tell me that if he could be sure of succeeding in that Design his Master would give a veâ—â— much larger Sum but that he was not in a Condition to throw away money upon Vncertainties I 〈◊〉 that nothing of that nature could be so infallibly sure as not to be subject to some possiâ—â—lities of â—ailâ—ng â—ut that I duâ—st venture to undertake to make it evidenâ— that there was as great an assurance of succeeding in it as any Husbandman can have of a Crop in Haâ—vest whâ— seâ—s his Grâ—â—nd in its due Season and yet it would be counted a very imprudent peice of waâ—iness an any Body to scruple the venturing so much Seed in its proper time because it is possible it may be totally lost and no benefit of it found in Harvest he that minds the Winds and the Rains at that rate shall neither Sow nor Reap I take our Case to be much the same as it was the last Sessions If we can advance the Duke 's Interest one step forward we shall put him out of the reach of Chance for ever for he makes such a Figure already that Cautious Men do not care to Act against him nor always without him because they do not see that he is much out-powered by his Enemies Yet is he not at such a Pitch as to be quite out of danger or free from opposition But if he could gain any considerable new addition of Power all would come over to him as to the only steddy Center of our Government and no body would contend with him further Then would Catholics be at Rest and his Most Christian Majestie 's Interest secured with us in England beyond all apprehensions whatsoever In order to this we have two great Designs to Attempt this next Sessions First that which we were about before viz. To put the Parliament upon making it their humble Request to the King that the Fleet may be put into his R. H's Care Secondly to get an Act for general liberty of Conscience If we carry these two or either of them we shall in effect do what we list afterwards and truly we think we do not undertake these great points very unreasonably but that we have good Cards for our Game Not but that we expect great Opposition and have great Reason to beg all the Assistance we can possibly get and therefore if his Most Christian Majesty would stand by us a little in this Conjuncture and help us with such
Plot And though the Time of our Sitting abating what must necessarily be spent in the chusing and presenting a Speaker appointing grand Committees and in taking the Oaths and Tests appointed by Act of Parliament hath not muâ—h exceeded a Fortnight yet we have in this Time not only made a considerable Progress in some Things which to us seem and when presented to your Majesty in a Parliamentary Way will we trust appear to your Majesty to be absolutely Necessary for the Safety of your Majesty's Person the effectual Suppression of Popery and the Security of the Religion Lives and Estates of your Majesty's Protestant Subjects But even in relation to the Tryals of the Five Lords impeached in Parliament for the execrable Popish Plot we have so far proceeded as we doubt not but in a short Time we shall be ready for the same But we cannot without being unfaithful to your Majesty and to our Country by whom we are intrusted omit upon this Occasion humbly to inform your Majesty that our Difficulties even as to these Tryals are much encreased by the evil and destructive Counsels of those Persons who advised your Majesty first to the Prorogation and then to the Dissolution of the last Parliament at a Time when the Commons had taken great Pains about and were prepared for those Tryals And by the like pernicious Counsels of those who advised the many and long Prorogations of the present Parliament before the same was permitted to sit whereby some of the Evidence which was prepared in the last Parliament may possibly during so long an Interval be forgotten or lost and some Persons who might probably have come in as Witnesses are either dead have been taken off or may have been discouraged from giving their Evidence But of one mischievous Consequence of those dangerous and unhappy Counsels we are certainly and sadly sensible namely That the Testimony of a material Witness against every of those Five Lords and who could probably have discovered and brought in much other Evidence about the Plot in general and those Lords in particular cannot now be given Viva voce Forasmuch as that Witness is unfortunately dead between the calling and the sitting of this Parliament to prevent the like or greater Inconveniences for the future we make it our most humble Request to your Excellent Majesty that as you tender the Safety of your Royal Person the Security of your Loyal Subjects and the Preservation of the true Protestant Religion you will not suffer your self to be prevail d upon by the like Counsel to do any thing which may occasion in Consequence though we are assured never with your Majesty's Intention either the deferring of a full and perfect Discovery and Examination of this most wicked and detestable Plot or the preventing the Conspirators therein from being brought to speedy and exemplary Justice and Punishment And we humbly beseech your Majesty to rest assured notwithstanding any Suggestions which may be made by Persons who for their own wicked Purposes contrive to create a Distrust in your Majesty of your People that nothing is more in the Desires and shall be more the Endeavours of us your faithful and loyal Commons than the promoting and advancing of your Majesty's true Happiness and Greatness In which the Parliament laid before the King your Brother these following Particulars 1. The grateful Sense they had of his Care in his Message to them by Jenkins his Secretary inviting the Parliament to expedite the Matters that were then before them relating to Popery and the Plot. 2. That they were convinced that it was a Duty incumbent upon them to suppress Popery and to bring to Justice all such as should be found Guilty of the horrid and damnable Popish Plot. 3. That the King by his frequent Prorogations and Dissolutions of his Parliaments had rendered the Tryals of the Popish Lords more difficult by reason that a material Witness was dead 4. That the Person of the King your Brother was not safe till the Criminals in the Popish Plot were brought to Justice 5. That notwithstanding the wicked Suggestions of your self and villanous Party they were resolved to be true and faithful to the King your Brother 8. Observe the Address of the House of Commons to the King your Brother on the 29th of Nov. 1680. upon the Message he sent to the House of Commons about the Affair of supplying Tangier in which they laid before the King these following Particulars worthy of your remembring 1. They laid before the King that since Tangier had become part of his Dominions it had been formerly under the Command of Popish Governours but more particularly it had been for some time under the Command of a certain Lord that stood impeached by Parliament and a Prisoner in the Tower for the execrable and horrid Popish Plot. 2. That the Supplies sent thither were made up of Popish Officers and Irish Papists and that the Popish Party there were the Persons most countenanced and incouraged 3. The restless Endeavours of the Popish Party within this Kingdom to introduce the Romish Religion and to extirpate the Protestant Religion 4 The Assistance they had received from some perfidious Protestants in the Approaches they made for the Compassing their Designs viz. The Devil's Brokers and their nasty Passive Obedience Vermine that it was a Wonder of Wonders they had not dispatched old Pious for some time before 5. That the Popish Party made use of their being discharged from Offices by their not taking the Test to give themselves up to the practising their Idolatry and Superstition without controul in many Parts of the Kingdom and great Swarms of Priests and Jesuits had resorted hither in order to carry on the Plot and exercised their Jurisdiction and had been daily tampering to pervert the Consciences of the Subjects of England and the Judges and Justices of the Peace that had opposed them were in disgrace and turned out of the Commission in contempt of the known Laws of the Land and if they could not corrupt Men they attempted nothing less than to destroy them 6. That several Papists to serve a Popish Turn had not only taken the Oaths but subscribed the Test and held the Offices themselves or else there were those put in that were so favourable to the Popish Interest insomuch that Popery had rather gained Ground since the making the Test Act than lost 7. The Correspondences that your Secretary held with Cardinal Howard and the Courts abroad 8. That when the Plot began to be discovered the Popish Party began to smother it by the Murther of a Justice of the Peace within one of the King's Palaces 9. That the Papists reckoned the Life of the King your Brother the only Obstacle in the way and having you in their Eye whom they had gained to their Religion and Interest they were resolved to begin with the Assassination of the King your Brother and to carry it on with the Murther of the Protestant
by us except only the Descent upon the Person of the Duke of York who by the wicked Instruments of the Church of Rome has been manifestly perverted to their Religion And we do humbly represent to your Majesty as the Issue of our most deliberate Thoughts and Consultations That for the Papists to have their Hopes continued That a Prince of that Religion shall succeed in the Throne of these Kingdoms is utterly inconsistent with the Safety of your Majesty's Person the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and the Prosperity Peace and Welfare of your Protestant Subjects That your Majesty's Sacred Life is in continual Danger under the Prospect of a Popish Successor is evident not only from the Principles of those devoted to the Church of Rome which allow That an Heretical Prince and such they term all Protestant Princes excommunicated and deposed by the Pope may be destroyed and murthered but also from the Testimonies given in the Prosecution of the horrid Popish Plot against divers Traytors attainted for designing to put those accursed Principles into practice against your Majesty From the Expectation of this Succession has the Number of Papists in your Majesty's Dominions so much increased within these few Years and so many been prevailed with to desert the true Protestant Religion That they might be prepared for the Favours of a Popish Prince as soon as he should come to the Possession of the Crown And while the same Expectation lasts many more will be in the same Danger of being perverted This it is that has hardned the Papists of this Kingdom animated and confederated by their Priests and Jesuits to make a common Purse provide Arms make Application to foreign Princes and solicit their Aid for imposing Popery upon us and all this during your Majesty's Reign and while your Majesty's Government and the Laws were our Protection It is your Majesty's Glory and true Interest to be the Head and Protector of all Protestants as well abroad as at home but if these Hopes remain What Alliances can be made for the Advantage of the Protestant Religion and Interest which shall give confidence to your Majesty's Allies to join so vigorously with your Majesty as the state of that Interest in the World now requires while they see this Protestant Kingdom in so much Danger of a Popish Successor by whom at the present all their Counsels and Actions may be eluded as hitherto they have been and by whom if he should succeed they are sure to â—e destroyed We have thus humbly laid before your Majesty some of those great Dangers and Mischiefs which evidently accompany the Expectation of a Popish Successor the certain and unspeakable Evils which will come upon your Majesty's Protestant Subjects and their Posterity if such a Prince should inherit are more also than we can well enumerate Our Religion which is now so dangerously shaken will then be totally overthrown nothing will be left or can be found to protect or defend it The Execution of old Laws must cease and it will be vain to expect new ones The most sacred Obligations of Contracts and Promises if any should be given that shall be judged to be against the Interest of the Romish Religion will be violated as is undeniable not only from Argument and Experience elsewhere but from the sad Experience this Nation once had upon the like Occasion In the Reign of such a Prince the Pope will be acknowledged Supreme though the Subjects of this Kingdom have sworn the contrary and all Causes either as Spiritual or in order to Spiritual Things will be brought under his Jurisdiction The Lives Liberties and Estates of all such Protestants as value their Souls and their Religion more than their secular Concernments will be adjudged Forfeited To all this we might add That it appears in the Discovery of the Plot that foreign Princes were invited to assist in securing the Crown to the Duke of York with Arguments from his great Zeal to establish Popery and to extirpate Protestants whom they call Hereticks out of his Dominions and such will expect performance accordingly We further humbly beseech your Majesty in your great Wisdom to consider Whether in case the Imperial Crown of this Protestant Kingdom should descend to the Duke of York the Opposition which may possibly be made to his possessing it may not only endanger the further Descent in the Royal Line but even Monarchy it self For these Reasons we are most humble Petitioners to your most Sacred Majesty that in tender Commiseration of your poor Protestant People â—â—ur Majesty will be graciously pleased to depart from the Reservation in your said Speech and when a Bill shall be tender'd to your Majesty in a Parliamentary Way to disable the Duke of York from inheriting the Crown your Majesty will give your Royal Assent thereto and as necessary to fortify and defend the same That your Majesty likewise will be graciously pleased to assent to an Act whereby your Majesty's Protestant Subjects may be enabled to associate themselves for the Defence of your Majesty's Person the Protestant Religion and the Security of your Kingdoms These Requests we are constrained humbly to make to your Majesty as of absolute Necessity for the safe and peaceable Enjoyment of our Religion Without these Things the Alliances of England will not be valuable nor the People encouraged to contribute to your Majesty's Service As some farther means both of our Religion and Property we are humble Suiters to your Majesty That from hence-forth such Persons only may be Judges within the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales as are Men of Ability Integrity and of known Affection to the Protestant Religion And that they may hold both their Offices and Salaries Quam diu bene se gesserint That several Deputy Lieutenants Justices of the Peace fitly qualified for those Employments having been of late displaced and others put in their Room who are Men of Arbitrary Principles and Countenancers of Papists and Popery such only may bear the Office of a Lord Lieutenant as are Persons of Integrity and known Affection to the Protestant Religion That Deputy Lieutenants and Justices of the Peace may be also so qualified and may be moreover Men of Ability of Estates and Interest in their Country That none may be imployed as military Officers or Officers in your Majesty's Fleet but Men of known Experience Courage and Affection to the Protestant Religion These our humble Requests being obtained we shall on our part be ready to assist your Majesty for the Preservation of Tangier and for putting your Majesty's Fleet into such a Condition as it may preserve your Majesty's Sovereignty of the Seas and be for the Defence of the Nation If your Majesty hath or shall make any necessary Alliances for defence of the Protestant Religion and Interest and Security of this Kingdom this House will be ready to assist and stand by your Majesty in the Support of the same After this our
humble Answer to your Majesty's Gracious Speech we hope no evil Instruments whatsoever shall be able to lessen your Majesty's Esteem of that Fidelity and Affection we hear to your Majesty's Service But that your Majesty will always retain in your Royal Breast that favourable Opinion of us your Loyal Commons That those other good Bills which we have now under Consideration conducing to the great Ends we have before mentioned as also all Laws for the Benefit and Comfort of your People which shall from time to time be tender'd to your Majesty's Royal Assent shall find Acceptance from your Majesty If this be not Demonstration that the Discovery of the Popish Plot had an universal Credit over all England I will never undertake to make any out for the future And this I must say That it is beyond Contradiction no Man of Sense ever standing in Opposition to that which is as plain as the Sun shining at Noon Day Therefore I will proceed in the tenth Place 10. The Judges of England gave it Credit Let me put you in Mind of what Judge Scroggs said at Irelands Tryal in his Charge to the Jury he saith thus It is most plain the Plot is Discovered and that by these Men that it is a Plot and a most Villanous one nothing is more plainer and when the Jury had found Ireland Pickering and Grove Guilty observe what he said to them you have done Gentlemen like very good Subjects and very Good Christians that is to say like very good Protestants and now much good may their thirty Thousand Masses do them Again in the Tryal of the Five Jesuits he saith thus This Gentlemans Blood lies upon you speaking of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey and some have being Executed for it it must be yet further told you that in what you did you have given us a Specimen of what you would do we have a Testimony that for promoting your Cause you would not stick at the Protestants Blood the Letter saith he that was found in Harcourts Papers doth farther confirm Oats in all the great and considerable Matters that he says that there was a Plot and that that Plot was called by the name of a Design which was to be keep Close and Secret This is an Evidence that cannot Lye 2. Observe what your never to be forgiven Villain Jefferies said upon the Justices finding the five Jesuits Guilty of Treason Gentlemen you of the Jury There hath been a long Evidence given against the Prisoners at the Bar they were all Indicted Arraigned and farely Tryed and fully heard for High-Treason depending upon several Circumstances they can none of them pretend to say and I take the Liberty to take notice of it for the satisfaction of them and all that here present and all the World that not a Person among the Prisoners at the Bar were either wanting to themselves to offer or the Court to them to hear any thing that they could say for themselves but upon a long Evidence and a full Discussing the Objection made against it and a Patient hearing the defence they made they are found Guilty and I think every honest Man will say they are unexceptably found so and that it is a just Verdict you have given Again upon his giving Judgment upon Langhorne and the five Jesuits he said thus But your several Crimes have been so fully proved against you that truely I think no Person that stands by can be in any doubt of the Guilt nor is there the least room for the most Scrupulous Men to doubt of the Credibility of the Witnesses that have been examined against you and sure I am you have been fully heard and stand fairly conviâ—ced of those Crimes you were Indicted for I could give farther instructions of this Nature but I now come to an Eleventh instance which is the Credit the Witnesses had with the Lord Chancellour Finch who at Staffords Trial when he gave Judgment upon that Traytor he told him that now it was out of dispute who fired London and who it was that Murthered Sir Edmundbury Godfrey Answer Give me leave to observe a third thing to you by way of answer look back a little and reflect upon the Behaviour of the King your Brother in that Affair mistake not your self Sir the King your Brother did believe the Popish Plot and issued forth several Proclamations made several Speeches in Parliament that did shew his belief but Sir if he did not believe it his discourse of it was sutable to his Company he kept but this I must say that had he joined in with his Parliament in the discovery of it he might have been much more easâ—y in his Government and might have been upon the Throne and your head upon London Bridge for ought I know but this I will say your Villanous Party could never recover the blow they received by the discovery of that Plot and it was the first and chief moving Cause of the late Revolution and the bringing our King to the Throne and delivered the Nation from Popery and Slavery and notwithstanding my ill Usage I have received from unreasonable Men I shall not Repent of any thing that I have said or done concerning the Testimony I have given relating to the Villanous Rogues and Traytors therein concerned and your Worship was the chief of those never to be forgotten and never to be forgiven I say I shall not Repent though I have received the worst of Villanous usage from this best of Government and have been left to Starve I having been now deprived of the greatest part of my Pension these five or six Years against all manner of Justice to please one malevolent Rogue who never did one good Act in all his Life unless it were to cheat the old Rogue his Father out of an Estate 2. I come to answer a second Question and that to shew you to what end I made the discovery and 1. The first Reason was that the Body of Mankind might be undeceived concerning your self and Party that the impudent Lies of your Baals Priests made in your Praise and Commendation both as to your Religion Royalty and Love to the Nation might sufficiently be laid open so that they might not any longer deceive the People in that Point as they had done in the Doctrins of Passive-Obedience and Non ressistance 2. That the Nation might be so awakned to provide in a legal way for its own security and the security of its Laws and Religion for in Truth the Lethargy that the generality of this Nation then lay under which amazed some thinking Men and encouraged you and your vigilant Villains for some thought that upon the discovery of the Gun-powder Treason and upon the late Restoration of your Brother that the Popish Party had laid all their Designs aside but alas they pursued their designs more industriously since we were Cursed with your Brothers Company and yours than ever before and your Red-Letter'd Scoundrels had so started