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A47831 A compendious history of the most remarkable passages of the last fourteen years with an account of the plot, as it was carried on both before and after the fire of London, to this present time. L'Estrange, Roger, Sir, 1616-1704. 1680 (1680) Wing L1228; ESTC R12176 103,587 213

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made That the Justices of the Peace in their several precincts should in the execution of their duties touching these particulars take notice of the Judges opinions and conform themselves thereto And whereas his Majesty had receiv'd a complaint in Council that several Justices of the Peace in several Counties Cities and Liberties notwithstanding the many Proclamations issu'd forth for the security of his Majesties person against the Plots of the Papists did refuse and neglect to put the same in execution It was therefore about this time order'd in Council That all his Majesties said Justices of the peace should with all care and diligence pursue his Majesties commands in the execution of the premises with further directions also to the Lord Chancellor forthwith to put out of Commission all such as should refuse or neglect their duty as persons disaffected to his Majesties Government and the Protestant Religion Yet notwithstanding all this publick diligence the Papists were still in the very face of countermanding Authority no less active to undermine the very Plot it self and utterly to extirpate the very proofs and evidence of the discovery For one James Nettervile formerly a Clerk in the Court of Claims in Dublin being at this time a prisoner in the Marshalsea sent for an acquaintance of his one Captain John Bury an Irish Gentleman and there communicated to him a great design of the Papists to turn the Plot another way that is to say to turn the Plot upon the Protestants for the destruction of the Papists To effect this the said Nettervile propos'd to the Captain that he would swear to such and such heads as should be drawn up for him to discredit and invalidate the testimony of Dr. Oates in reference to the Plot and that for his reward he should have 500 l. to be deposited in a third hand by one Russel for better security to be paid him immediately upon his doing the business This design was manag'd by the same Russel a rank Papist and an Irish man But it seems they made their addresses wrong For such was the fidelity and loyalty of the Captain to his Prince that he made a timely discovery of the contrivance and so spoyl'd the Market of those Traders in Subornation What this piece of subtilty meant may be easily conjectur'd but this was more observable that a little before this discovery several persons by these very people appointed were at the houses of certain eminent Presbyterians in London to pray their charitable Contributions toward the maintenance of Mr. Oates and Mr. Bedlow falsly pretending that the Kings allowance was not sufficient for their support But the parties to whom they made their application smelling the cheat slighted their charitable diligence and sent them away empty And indeed who knows what use they might have made of it had those persons encourag'd their design In the mean time that is to say upon the fifth of this month Robert Green Henry Berry and Lawrence Hill were brought to their Tryals at the Kings Bench Bar for the Murther of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey The names of the Jury were Sir William Roberts Sir Richard Fisher Sir Michael Heneage Sir Thomas Bridges William Avery Charles Umphrevile John Bathurst Richard Gowre Thomas Hensloe John Sharp John Haynes Walter Moyle Esquires The general Indictment was for the murther of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace for the County of Middlesex the manner of which Murther has been already related as also the reasons for which they did it The stress of the Evidence lay upon Mr. Praunce who swore in general that he met the Murtherers in reference to the carrying on their work several times at the Plough Ale-house near Somerset-house that Girald and Kelley seduc'd him and inveigled him into the Conspiracy That Hill Girald and Green dogg'd him all Saturday from his first going out That at night they lodg'd him in a house in St. Clements That at his coming out from thence Hill ran before and gave the rest notice and then went and stay'd for his coming by That it was Hill that perswaded him to follow him into the yard under pretence of a quarrel That it was Green who threw the twisted Handkerchief about his neck and that then Hill Girald and Kelley came in to Green's assistance pull'd the Gentleman down and help'd to throttle him while Berry and Praunce watch'd the avenues into the yard And that Green afterwards for the more sure dispatch wrung his neck round That after the Murther was done all the six actors carried the body into Hills Lodgings That when the body was to be remov'd from Somerset-house which was on the Wedsnesday night following Praunce and Girald were the first that carry'd the Sedan and were reliev'd by Green and Kelley That at Soho Hill met them with the horse that there they all mounted the dead body by forcing the leggs open upon the said horse that Hill rode behind and that Green Kelley and Girald walk'd by till they came to the place where the body was thrown It was farther sworn by Mr. Praunce that after all this Girald met several persons at Bow namely Luson Vernatti Dethick and one more and there rejoyc'd together for the cleverness of the Murther committed and the good fortune they had had for the disposal of the Body Mr. Bedlow swore That after the said Sir Edmundbury Godfrey was murther'd he met one Le Faire a Priest in the Cloysters of Somerset-house by appointment and that the said Le Faire carry'd him into a Room where were several persons looking upon the body by the help of a Candle and Lanthorn and that at that time he also among the rest saw Sir Edmundbury Godfrey lye dead and that he knew him as he lay This Evidence was also fortifi'd by several other circumstances By the Constable who found the body in the same posture they themselves reported they had left it By the master of the Plough and his servant who confirm'd the several meetings of the Murtherers at the same house And by Sir Edmundbury's maid who sware to the enquiries made for her Master at his house by Green and Hill In answer to these facts thus made out Hill defended himself by affirming that Mr. Praunce had perjur'd himself by denying or recanting what he had sworn before the King but that was over-ruled by the Court for that Mr. Praunce's first Impeachment of the Conspirators was done upon oath and his recantation but only a bare denyal Green brought his witnesses to prove that he was constantly at home by nine of the clock at night and never stirr'd after that out of the house and that such a thing could not be done in the house but they must know of it but because they did not exactly make out what they averr'd there was no credit given them The most considerable testimony was that which Berry produc'd which was that of the Sentinels who kept the Guard one of which
of Monmouth return'd for England where he had that reception from his Majesty which his Valour and Conduct had well deserv'd With him the Series of the History returns also and being arriv'd at London there the first thing remarkable which it meets with is the Dissolution of the Parliament To which purpose the King was pleas'd to issue forth His Royal Proclamation That whereas the present Parliament was lately prorogu'd till the 14th of August the Kings most excellent Majesty being resolv'd to meet his people and have their advice in frequent Parliaments had thought fit to dissolve the present Parliament and that he had given directions to the Lord Chancellor for the issuing out of Writs for the calling of a new Parliament to be holden on Tuesday the 7th of October next ensuing It was now a whole month since Mr. Langhorne had receiv'd sentence of Condemnation All this while he had been repriev'd partly for the sake of his Clyents that he might discharge himself of such business of theirs as he had in his hands partly for his own sake to the end he might have retriev'd himself from the ignominy of his execution by a candid and sincere Confession He had sent a Petition to his Majesty wherein after he had given his Majesty most humble thanks for prolonging his life he further set forth that he was ignorant of the subject of the Earl of Roscommons Letter as also of the Grounds upon which it was written That in obedience to his Majesties commands he had made the utmost discovery he could of the Estates he was commanded to disclose and therefore besought his Majesty to grant him his Pardon or at least to give him leave to live though it were abroad and in perpetual banishment he having as he pretended fully obey'd his Majesties Commands But whether he spake truth or no may be fairly appeal'd to the world For it is impossible to think otherwise but that if he had so fully and sincerely obey'd those Commands which it was thought requisite which no question the insight of a wise and discerning Council well knew he could perform his Majesty so punctual to his Mercy as they who have peculiarly tasted it well can testifie would never have swerv'd in the least tittle from the Grace which once he had offer'd him So that when he saw so much confidence in a dying man as to approach the throne of mercy with so much untruth his favourable eye could not look upon that Canting Declaration which follow'd but as the Speech of a Prosopopoeia hammer'd for him in the Popish Forge By which figure he might have enforc'd his Protestations ten times more solemnly without any disadvantage to his credit among his Confessors Having thus therefore spent a month in plausible prevarications at length the fatal warrant came by vertue whereof he was drawn to Tyburn and there executed according to the Sentence pronounc'd against him As for the Speech which he left as a Legacy to the world believing he should not have opportunity to utter it by word of mouth it was nothing but an absolute denyal of what had been so clearly prov'd against him 'T is true 't was farc'd with strange imprecations and solemn Asseverations of his Innocency But how true those Protestations were he himself discovers by a bold untruth that unmantles the fallacy of all the rest For what man of reason can imagine it possible that his Majesty or the Council should think his attainted life so considerable as to turn his Priests and for his dear sake to take upon them the office of the Ministry to convert him from Popery 'T was very likely indeed that they should offer him Great Advantages Preferments and Estates after the judgement was against him to make him forsake his Religion as if the King had wanted a Judge Advocate for his Guards But when he could not beg a Banishment he was resolv'd to bespatter that favour of life which was offer'd him only to be ingenuous in the farther discovery of the foul design wherein he was engag'd but neither for his parts or endowments Not long after Sir George Wakeman William Rumley William Marshall and James Corker Benedictine Monks were brought to their Tryals at the same Bar. The Jury were Ralph Hawtrey Henry Hawley Henry Hodges Richard Downtin Rob. Hampton Esquires William Heydon John Bathurst John Baldwyn Will. Avery Esquires Richard White and Thomas Waite Gent. The Charge against Sir George Wakeman was that whereas there was a design among several of the Popish party to subvert the Government of the Nation by altering the Laws and Religion therein establish'd and taking away the life of his Majesty he the said Sir George had undertaken to do the latter by Poyson That for that piece of service he was to have fifteen thousand pounds of which sum he had already receiv'd five thousand pound in part And that for a further gratuity he had accepted of a Commission to be Physician General of the Army That he receiv'd the Commission from the Provincial of the Jesuites in England and that he read it kept it in his possession and agreed to it with a design to have enter'd upon his employment so soon as the Army should be rais'd To make good the Charge Dr. Oates was sworn and depos'd That he saw a Letter of Sir George Wakemans written to one Ashby a Jesuite then under his directions at the Bath wherein after he had given him the prescriptions he was to observe he sent him word that he was assur'd of a certain person that was to poyson the King That he was present when Ashby offer'd him the 10000 l. in the presence of Harcourt and Ireland to poyson the King That he refus'd it not in abhorrency of the crime but because as he said it was too little for so great a Work That afterwards five thousand pound more was offer'd him as he was credibly inform'd by the order of the Provincial Whitebread But that he certainly saw the Prisoners hand to a receipt in the entry book at Wild-house for five thousand pound part of the said fifteen thousand pound Mr. Bedlow depos'd That he was in Harcourts Chamber where he saw Harcourt deliver to Sir George Wakeman a Bill of two thousand pound which was charg'd as he suppos'd upon a Goldsmith near Temple bar And that Sir George upon receipt of the Bill told Harcourt that if the Bill were accepted he should hear from him suddenly That the Bill was accepted and the money paid by the Confession of Sir George to the Witness That the said 2000l was soon after made up 5000 l. and as Harcourt told this Deponent all upon the same accompt and in part of the 15000 l. Sir George pleaded to all this that he had been left at liberty twenty four days after he had been before the Council and that upon Dr. Oates's being sent for to the House of Lords to repeat his Evidence against Sir George he
City and impoverish her Inhabitants before they could possibly be able to bring any of their Contrivances to maturity Richard Strange once Provincial of the Jesuites took the care of a Fact so worthy the Order of Jesus upon himself To which purpose having made Gray Pennington Barton all three Jesuites and others privy to his Criminal Intentions they all met together at a public House call'd the Green Dragon near Puddle Dock kept by one West a Taylor There after several Consultations they agreed to have done their work in February 1664. but not having assistance sufficient nor materials enow ready for Execution they desisted for that time In January 1666. they again renewed their meetings at the same West's House and under the pretence of being Fifth Monarchy Men they first inveagled one Green into their Society and with a bait of 30 l. wherewith they furnish'd him for his present Necessities soon caught the hungry Fish Green thus deluded by their Charity and their Canting joyn'd with them in their design both for Firing the City and Murdering the King and in farther gratitude for their kindness brought into their acquaintance eight more of the same Gang who as they were a hotheaded and inconsiderate sort of Cattel soon closed with a Combination so sutable to their own Natures and were no less zealous in the business then the Jesuites themselves Upon this they were all eager to have gone to work in February following before the Return of the Inhabitants to London But Green opposed that Resolution representing to the Jesuites that then they should be the sooner discover'd in regard that the greater the Uproar was the safer they should be More then this he put them in mind That the King would not then be much in Town if at all who as Green at that time adviz'd was to be cut off when the people were all in Consternation and hurrey by reason of the Fire This advice pleased the subitle Jesuites well and for those reasons the business was delay'd Soon after Green and the rest of the Cabal were suspected by their Host the forenamed West and forwarn'd his House Upon this the wary Jesuites like Foxes fled immediately to their Holes and Earth'd themselves at St. Omers leaving their poor deluded Fifth Monarchy Brethren to suffer the deserved Punishment of their rash Zeal For those Fifth Monarchy Bigots being all taken the next Sessions were indicted at the Old Baily by the Names of John Rathbones William Saunders Henry Tucker Thomas Flint Thomas Evans John Miles William Westcott and John Cole for Conspiring the Death of his Majesty and the overthrow of the Government having lay'd their Plot for surprizal of the Tower killing the Lord General Monk Sir John Robinson and Sir Richard Brown and then to have declar'd for an equal division of Lands The better to effect which the City was to have been fir'd the Portcullices to have been let down to keep out assistance and the Horse guards to have been surpriz'd several Officers having been gain'd for that purpose Of all this they were found guilty and soon after Executed all but Green who dy'd in prison before he came to his Tryal All which nothing grieved the Jesuites believing that now whatever mischief happn'd afterwards the burthen of the Crime would be laid upon the Fanaticks As to the Fathers that brought them into those noozes the poor condemned Hotspurs never mentioned a word concerning them neither knowing their Names nor suspecting them to have been Jesuites but of their own Faction and therefore the more chary of detecting them Upon notice therefore given to Strange by Fitzgerald an Irish Jesuite and one Neal of White happel that the Fifth Monarchy Cullies were all safe out of this World without the least Information given or notice taken of their Names or Persons Strange and his Companions returned in June following and fell again to their employment which had been in some measure managed by their Associates in their absence To be short they got fifty or sixty Irish to ply the Work and were also in fee with several French Men who were faithful in the business to speak the Phrase of Strange himself All things being ready and the places pitch'd upon Strange in August 1666. removed his Quarters and lay at a House in Fenchurch Street by the Name of W●lker Pennington and Barton lodg'd at an Apothecaries in Shoo Lane Gray and Fitzgerard took up their Querters in White Chappel at the House of Neal beforenamed who was to manage the Fire from Thames Street to the Tower Just at the Time prefix'd one Pie-de-loup and Hubert both French Men and Companions came to an Alehouse in Pudding Lane adjoyning to Farriner the Baker's and observing their opportunity convey'd at the end of two long poles three Fire-balls first lighted with Matches through a hole in the Wall into Farriner's House not stirring till the Room was in a Flame This was the Confession of Hubert himself and what moreover he acknowledged at his Execution For he was sometime after Try'd Condemn'd and Executed for this very fact And now the Fire being thus begun while Night and Consternation bred a general confusion the Devils Agents were no less busie in employing their Masters own Element at their several stations till it grew to such a height that I need not repeat the dismal havock which it made as being yet too fresh in Memory But as if this had not been Impietie enough for the Order of Jesus to boast of they had a sort of unsanctified Villains and Jades to the number of fourscore or fourscore and six who made it their business to Plunder Steal and carry away the Goods of the Miserable in the height of their distraction for which purpose the Holy Order had their Warehouses and receptacles of Stollen Goods in Wild Street besides what they concealed in Somerset House so that they got by the Fire of London above 14000 l. Among the rest they carried off a Casquet of Diamond Stones which was sold by the same Jesuites in Flanders for 3500 l. Sterling It is also ascertain'd from the Mouth of Strange himself that there were spent in this Destruction of theirs above Seven hundred of those little Hand Granado's which they flung into Houses and call'd by way of Joke and Secrecy Tewksbury Mustard-Balls now better known by the name of Jesuites Fire-Balls The next considerable Fire was that in Southwark which happened in the Year 1676. This Fire was begun by one John Groves who had several Fire Works made for that purpose and three Irish Men that were his Assistants so prosperous in their Villany that they set an Oyl shop near Saint Margarets Hill on Fire For which noble Act the said Groves had 400 l. and the three Irish Men 200 l. a piece paid them by the Jesuites here in London that set them on Work However the Jesuites were no losers by the Bargain for by the Dexterity of their plundering Emissaries they got
to the verdict of his Countrey A vanity excusable in him whose vanity had been his ruine and commonly practicable among offenders conceited of their Eloquence that pride themselves to be accompted Swans and the sweet singers of their own Epitaphs By the Conviction of Staly the malice of the Papists hearts appear'd though they conceal'd it with better discretion By the Conviction of Coleman the whole nation and they that doubted most were convinced of the truth of the design So that upon the 28th of Novemb. his Majesty was pleas'd toissue forth his Royal Proclamation wherein he promis'd pardon and 200 l. to any person concern'd in the Plot that would come in and discover before the 25. of December And within two days after his Majesty was also pleas'd to give his Royal assent to an Act to disable Papists to sit in either Houses of Parliament December All this while Colemans Execution was respited For as it was verily thought that he could discover much all endeavours were used to have brought him to a further Confession But he believing himself sure of a pardon from other hands would by no means give ear to those who he had more reason to think had his life at their disposal And therefore finding that he was obstinate to all propositions of grace and favour at length order was given for his Execution It was his misfortune to believe he should have his pardon to the last moment of his life even after he was tyed up But whoever they were those whom he thought his best friends deceiv'd him although to please them he gave thanks to heaven that he dyed a Roman Catholick and absolutely renounc'd the knowledge of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's death with which asseverations the Executioner did his office the third of this month An unhappy Martyr for his cause if he so thought himself in this that he dy'd for those that less pity'd him than those he had so deeply wronged and were as it is verily presum'd the chief rejoycers that they were so fairly rid of him Had Justice been ready with her prosecution he had not gone alone perhaps but might have had company to have attended him to his imaginary Paradise For upon the 15th of this month John Grove William Ireland and Tho. Pickering apprehended sometime before by the diligent pursuit of the discoverer were also brought to their Tryals at the Sessions in the Old-Baily The Names of the Jury were Sr. William Roberts Bar. Sr. Philip Matthews Bar. Sr. Charles Lee Knight Edward Wilford Esq John Foster Esq Joshua Galliard Esq John Byfield Esq Thomas Egglesfield Esq Thomas Johnson Esq John Pulford Esq Tho. Ernsby Esq Richard Wheeler Gent. The substance of the Indictment was for conspiring and attempting the death of his Sacred Majesty as also for endeavouring and contriving to alter the Religion established in the Nation and to introduce Popery in its room The particular Charges consisted in the particular proofs how every one of these Offenders was particularly concerned for the carrying on and effecting these designs To this purpose it was sworn by Dr. Oates That Whitebread received a Patent from the General of the Jesuites at Rome to be Provincial of the Order in these parts and by vertue of that Commission sent to St. Omers for several of the Society to make their appearance at London to the end they might be personally there at a Consult which was to be held the 24th of April Stilo Veteri That upon the receipt of the said Summons the 5th of April Nine of them of which the Discoverer was one did come to London That upon the said 24th of April the Consult was held at the White Horse Tavern accordingly and that the Prisoners at the Bar were there That it was there resolved that Pickering and Grove should go on in their attempt upon the King for which Grove was to have 1500 l. and Pickering the reward of 30000. Masses Which Result was also sign'd by the Prisoner Ireland That there was an Oath of Secrecy administer'd at the said Consult by Whitebread which Ireland took among the rest Mr. Bedlow swore That either in August or the beginning of September he was at Harcourt's Chamber where it was resolv'd that since the Ruffians had miss'd Killing of the King at Windsor Grove and Pickering should go on and that one Conyers should be joyn'd with them to assassinate the King in his morning walks at New-market and that Ireland was there also heard all and gave his consent Against Grove and Pickering it was sworn by Dr. Oates that he saw them several times walking together in the Park with their screw'd Pistols which were longer than ordinary Pistols but shorter than a Carbine That they had Silver Bullets and that Grove would have had the Bullets chew'd lest the wound should not have prov'd mortal That Pickering had once a fair opportunity but that the flint of his Pistol being loose he durst not venture to give fire and that for that negligence of his he was forc'd to undergo penance and to receive twenty or thirty strokes of Discipline That Grove did go about with one Smith to gather Peter-pence That Grove confess'd to him that he with three Irish-men did fire Southwark for which Grove had 400 l. and the three Irish-men 200 l. apiece Mr. Bedlow swore against Grove in particular that in the business of killing the King he was more forward than the rest and that he should say Since it could not be done clandestinely it should be openly attempted As to the reward he swore it to be the same with Dr. Oates before The defence which the Prisoners made was nothing but a bare denyal of the matter of Fact Only Ireland being charg'd in Aug. labour'd very much to prove that he was out of Town all that time though it were re-prov'd by very good circumstances and upon oath for the King that he was seen in London upon the 12. or 13th of the same month His next defence was a weak reflection upon Dr. Oates's credit to which purpose an Indictment for perjury never prosecuted was urg'd against him but the Attorney General made slight of it as of a thing that had nothing in it Neither was that which Sir Dennis Ashbornham said of greater force seeing that the irregularities of Children are no impediment but that they may prove good men So that the Endictment being fully prov'd against them by good witnesses and the concurrence of the Evidence in every particular the Jury made no long stay before they return'd and brought them in all Guilty After this the Court adjourn'd till the afternoon and then the Prisoners being again brought to the Bar were all three condemn'd to be Hang'd Drawn and Quarter'd While Humane Justice was thus employ'd upon Earth Divine Vengeance was no less active above No longer could it suffer innocent blood to clamour unreveng'd And therefore where Bedlow fail'd much about this time by a strange accident was Praunce
great Seal of England bearing date at Westminster the said first day of March in the one and thirtieth year of his Majesties reign and here into this most High and Honourable Court produc'd under the said great Seal of his special Grace certain Knowledge and meer Motion hath pardon'd remised released to him the said Earl of Danby all and all manner of Treasons Misprisions of Treasons Confederacies Insurrections Rebellions Felonies Exactions Oppressions publications of words Misprisions Confederacies Concealments Negligences Omissions Offences Crimes Contempts Misdemeanors and Trespasses whatsoever by himself done or with any other person or persons or by any other by the command advice assent consent or procurement of him the said Thomas E. of Danby advis'd committed attempted made perpetrated conceal'd committed or omitted before the 27th day of Feb. then and now last past being also after the time of the said Articles exhibited although the said Premises or any of them did or should touch or concern the person of his said Majesty or any of his publick Negotiations whatsoever and also his Majesties affairs with foreign Embassadors sent to his said Majesty or by not rightly prosecuting his Majesties Instructions and Commands to his Embassadors residing on his Majesties behalf in foreign parts And as to all and singular accessories to the said premises or any of the indicted impeached appealed accused convicted adjudged out lawed condemned or attainted and all and singular Indictments Impeachments Inquisitions Informations Exigents Judgements Attainders Outlaries Convictions pains of Death Corporal punishments Imprisonments Forfeitures Punishments and all other pains and penalties whatsoever for the same or any of them and all and all manner of suits Complaints Impeachments and demands whatsoever Which his said Majesty by reason of the Premises or any of them then had or for the future should have or his heirs or successors any way could have afterwards against him the said Thomas Earl of Danby And also suit of his Majesties peace and whatever to his Majesty his heirs or successors against him the said Earl did or could belong by reason or occasion of the Premises or any of them And his Majesty hath thereby granted his firm Peace to the said Tho. E. of Danby And further his Majesty willed and granted that the said Letters-Patents and the said Pardon and Release therein contain'd as to all the things Pardon'd and Releas'd should be good and effectual in the law though the Treasons Misprisions of Treasons Insurrections Rebellions Felonies Exactions Oppressions Publications of words Misprisions of Confederacies Concealments Negligencies Omissions Offences Crimes Contempts Misdemeanors and Trespasses were not certainly specified And notwithstanding the Statute by the Parliament of King Ed. 3. in the 14th year of his reign made and provided or any other Statute Act or Ordinance to the contrary thereof made and provided And moreover his said now Majesty by his said Letters Patents of his farther Grace did firmly command all and singular Judges Justices Officers and others whatsoever That the said Free and General Pardon of his said Maj. and the general words clauses and sentences abovesaid should be construed and expounded and adjudged in all his Majesties Courts and elsewhere in the most beneficial ample and benign sense And for the better and more firm discharge of the said Earl of and from the crimes and offences aforesaid according to the true intents of his Majesty and in such beneficial manner and form to all intents and purposes whatsoever as if the said Treasons Crimes Offences Concealments Negligencies Omissions Contempts and Trespasses aforesaid and other the said Premises by apt express and special words had been remitted released and pardoned and that the said Letters Patents of Pardon and the Release and Pardon therein contain'd shall be pleaded and allowed in all and every his Majesties Courts and before all his Justices whatsoever without any Writ of allowance any matter cause or thing whatsoever in any wise notwithstanding as by the said Letters Patents themselves more at large appeareth which said Letters Patents follow in these words Carolus Dei Gratia Angliae Scotia Franciae Hibernae Rex Fidei defensor c. Omnibus ad quos prasentes Literae nostrae pervenerint Salutem Sciatis quod nos pro diversis bonis causis considerationibus Nos ad hoc specialiter moventibus de Gratia Nostra speciali mero motu Nostris Pardonavimus Relaxavimus c. And the said Earl doth averr that he the said Thomas Earl of Danby in the said Articles named is the said Thomas Earl of Danby in the said Letters of Pardon here produced likewise named Which Pardon the said Earl doth rely upon and pleaded the same in Bar of the said Impeachment and in discharge of all the Treasons Crimes Misdemeanors and Offences contained or mentioned in the said Articles of Impeachment and every of them And this the said Earl is ready to averr Whereupon he humbly prays the judgement of your Lordships and that his Majesties most Gracious Pardon aforesaid may be allowed And that he the said Earl by vertue hereof may be from all the said Articles of Impeachment and all and every of the Treasons and Crimes therein alledg'd against him acquitted and discharg'd The Earl of Danby having thus put in his Plea to the Articles of Impeachment the Commons referr'd it to the Committee of Secresie to examine the matter of the Plea of the Earl of Danby and to enquire how Presidents stood in relation to the Pardon and in what manner and by what means the same was obtained Who thereupon made their Report That they could find no President that ever any Pardon was granted to any Person impeach'd by the Commons of High Treason and depending the Impeachment So that they presently order'd that a Message should be sent to the Lords to desire their Lordships to demand of the Earl of Danby whether he would rely upon and abide by his Plea or not In the midst of these disputes a business of another Nature intervenes For one Mr. Reading having been accus'd to the Commons for going about to corrupt the Kings Evidence in the behalf of the five Lords in the Tower they presently order'd him to be secur'd and made an Address to his Majesty that he would be pleas'd to issue forth a Commission of Oyer and Terminer for the Tryal of the said Mr. Reading wherein they made the more hast to the end his Tryal might be over before that of the Lords which it was then thought was near at hand Hereupon the Commission was expedited and upon the 24th of this Month the Commissioners met at Westminster-Hall in the Court of Kings Bench. The Commissioners were the twelve Judges of England Sir James Butler Sir Philip Matthews Sir Thomas Orby Sir Thomas Byde Sir William Bowles Sir Thomas Stringer Sir Charles Pitfeld Thomas Robinson Humfrey Wirley Thomas Haryot and Richard Gower Esquires The Prisoner was endicted by the name of Nathaniel Reading for
and from thence in his Barge to Deptford where after he had taken a view of a new Third-rate Frigat call'd the Sterling Castle he proceeded on to Sheerness and so forward to Portsmouth where he safely soon after arriv'd by Sea and having made a short stay in the Town return'd again by Land to Windsor August 1679. Soon after his return his Majesty was seiz'd by a fit of sickness which though Heaven kind to three Kingdomes was pleas'd not to suffer to grow upon him yet the short continuance bred no small terrour and consternation in the hearts of all his Loyal Subjects The City soon took the sad Alarm and immediately deputed two Aldermen to attend his Majesty during his sickness of whose attendance he was pleas'd to accept till the danger was over His Royal Highness the Duke of York also receiving the unwelcome news hasten'd out of Flanders to Windsor But in a short time these affrights were happily over September 1679. In the mean time Mr. Jenison had been several times examin'd and at length made publick a Narrative containing a farther discovery of the Plot with a confirmation of the truth of the Kings Evidence which Ireland had so fairly ventur'd at his death to invalidate at the expence of his Salvation Thereupon his Majesty was pleas'd to publish a Proclamation against the four Ruffians who were design'd to have murder'd him at Windsor Wherein he summon'd them by the names of Captain Levallyan .... Karney Thomas Brahall and James Wilson to render themselves before the twentieth day of October next or else to suffer the extremity of the Law with promise of a hundred pound to any person that should apprehend or discover any of them While the King continued at Windsor upon the noise of the Duke of York's being return'd several Citizens of whom the Chamberlain of London was the chief alledging their jealousies and fears arising as they said from the Dukes encouragement of Popery and the continu'd practices of the Enemies of the Protestant Religion made their applications to the Lord Mayor desiring that the guards of the City might be doubled His Lordship gave them thanks for their care and zeal and told them that he could not answer their desires of himself but that he would summon the Lieutenancy together which being done though neither Sir Thomas Player nor other person appear'd and the address of the absent Gentlemen being debated it was concluded that there was no necessity to put any farther charge upon their fellow Citizens at present as was desir'd till more urging causes of danger appear'd which was the determination of that grand affair But the City it self had a nobler design For the Lord Mayor and Aldermen having the week before order'd two of their members to attend the King at Windsor humbly to desire leave to wait on his Majesty to congratulate his happy recovery from his late indisposition they accordingly went in a full body toward the middle of this month with a fair Retinue to Windsor Where being introduc'd into the Royal presence the Lord Mayor set forth the exceeding joy of the City and of all his Majesties Protestant Subjects for so great a blessing declaring withal the happiness they enjoy'd in his Majesties most excellent Government and his preservation of the publick Liberty Property and above all the Protestant Religion To which his Majesty was pleas'd to return for answer That he had ever a high esteem of his City of London and would never omit any opportunity of giving them the marks of his kindness assuring them that he would employ his care to maintain them in peace and secure them in their properties and in the Protestant Religion and then admitted them to the Honour of kissing his hand After that his Majesty retiring out of the Royal Presence my Lord Mayor was ask'd whether he with the Aldermen would not wait on the Queen and Duke of York To which his Lordship answer'd that he had done all that was in his Commission but that he was heartily glad he had done so much as being with the rest of his brethren transported with an extraordinary joy to behold his Majesty in so good a condition of Health After the Ceremony was over the Lord Maynard by his Majesties Order entertain'd the Lord Mayor and Aldermen at a splendid Dinner which being done they return'd home the same night highly satisfy'd with the favour and treatment they had receiv'd On the 17th of this month His Majesty return'd to London with the Queen and Duke of York whereupon the Lord Mayor immediately gave order for the ringing of the bells and making bonfires which was perform'd with all chearfulness and joy by the Inhabitants Soon after that is to say upon the 27th of this month his Grace the Duke of Monmouth took shipping in one of his Majesties Yachts for Holland and the next day his Royal Highness the Duke of York departed for Flanders Whose said remarkable Departures out of this Land may well suffice to give a memorable conclusion to the story of these few last years wherein the Transactions have been so various and worthy observation that the like have rarely happen'd in a Kingdom notwithstanding all these violent underminings of her Tranquillity still bless'd with Peace and which the prayers of all good Men implore from Heaven may still continue so under the protection of a merciful God and Gracious King FINIS * Fairly promis'd when he was going to be hang'd Swear and Forswear But the main Secret to betray forbear