practising the death and destruction of her Maiestie whom God long prosper preserue frō all such wicked attempts The tenor of which indictment appeareth more particularly in the course of his Arraignment folowing The maner of the Arraignement of William Parry the xxv of Februarie 1584. at Westminster in the place where the courte commonly called the Kings Bench is vsually kept by vertue of her Maiesties Commission of Oyer Terminer before Henrie L. Hunsdon gouernour of Barwicke Sir Francis Knolles Knight Treasorer of the Queenes Maiesties housholde Sir Iames Croft Knight Comptroller of the same houshold Sir Christopher Hatton Knight Vicechamberlaine to her Maiestie Sir Christopher Wray Knight Chiefe Iustice of Englande Sir Gilberte Gerrard Knight master of the Rolles Sir Edmund Anderson Knight chiefe Iustice of the Common Plees Sir Roger Manwood Knight chiefe Barron of the Eschequer and Sir Thomas Hennage Knight Treasorer of the Chamber FIrst three Proclamations for silence were made according to the vsuall course in such cases Then the Lieutenant was commaunded to returne his precept which did so and brought the prysoner to the Barre to whom Miles Sandes Esquire Clerke of the Crowne sayde William Parrie hold vp thy hand and he did so Then said y e Clerke of the crowne Thou art here indicted by the othes of xii good and lawful men of the Countie of Middlesex before Sir Christopher Wray Knight and others which tooke the Indictment by the name of William Parry late of London Gentleman otherwise called William Parry late of London Doctor of the lawe for y t thou as a false traitor against the most noble and Christian Prince Queene Elizabeth thy most gracious Soueraigne and liege Ladie not hauing the feare of God before thine eyes nor regarding thy due allegiance but being seduced by the instigation of the deuill and intending to withdrawe and extinguish the heartie loue and due obedience which true and faithfull Subiectes shoulde beare vnto the same our Soueraigne Ladie diddest at Westminster in the Countie of Middlesex on the first day of Februarie in the xxvi yeere of her Highnesse raigne and at diuers other times and places in the same Countie maliciously and trayterously conspire and compasse not onely to depriue and depose the same our Soueraigne Ladie of her Royall estate title and dignitie but also to bring her highnesse to death and finall destruction and sedition in the Realme to make and the gouernement thereof to subuert and the sincere religion of God established in her highnesse dominions to alter subuert And that whereas thou William Parry by thy letters sent vnto Gregorie Bishoppe of Rome diddest signifie vnto the same Bishoppe thy purposes and intentions aforesayde and thereby diddest pray and require the same Bishoppe to giue thee absolution that thou afterwards that is to say the last day of March in the xxvi yeere aforesayde diddest trayterously receiue letters frō one called Cardinall de Como directed vnto thee William Parry whereby the same Cardinall did signifie vnto thee that the Bishoppe of Rome had perused thy letters and allowed of thine intent and that to that ende hee had absolued thee of all thy sinnes and by the same letter did animate and stirre thee to proceede with thine enterprise and that therupon thou the last day of August in the xxvi yeere aforesaide at Saint Giles in the fieldes in y e same Countie of Middlesex diddest trayterously conferre with one Edmunde Neuill Esquire vttering to him all thy wicked and trayterous deuises and then and there diddest moue him to assist thee therin to ioyne with thee in those wicked treasons aforesayd against y e peace of our sayd Soueraigne Ladie the Queene her Crowne dignity What sayest thou William Parry art thou guilty of these treasons whereof thou standest here indicted or not guiltie Then Parry sayde Before I pleade not guiltie or confesse my selfe guiltie I pray you giue me leaue to speake a fewe words and with humbling himselfe began in this maner God saue Queene Elizabeth and God sende mee grace to discharge my duetie to her and to send you home in charitie But touching the matters that I am indicted of some were in one place and some in another and done so secretely as none can see into them except y t they had eyes like vnto God wherefore I will not lay my blood vpon the Iurie but doe minde to confesse the indictment It containeth but the parts that haue bene openly redde I pray you tel me Whereunto it was answered that the Indictment conteined the partes he had heard redde and no other whereupon the Clarke of the Crowne saide vnto Parry Parry thou must answere directly to the indictment whether thou be guiltie or not Then sayde Parry I doe confesse that I am guiltie of al that is therein cōtained And further too I desire not life but desire to die Unto which the clarke of y e Crowne sayd If you confesse it you must confesse it in maner and fourme as it is comprised in the Iudictment Whereunto he sayd I doe confesse it in maner and fourme as the same is set downe and all the circumstances thereof Then the confession being recorded the Queenes learned counsel being readie to pray iudgement vpon the same confession Master Vicechamberlaine sayde These matters contained in this indictment and confessed by this man are of great importance they touch the person of the Queenes most excellent Maiestie in the highest degree the very state and weldoing of the whole common wealth and the trueth of Gods worde established in these her Maiesties dominions and the open demonstration of that capitall enuie of the man of Rome that hath set him selfe against God and all godlinesse all good Princes and good gouernment and against good men Wherefore I pray you for the satisfaction of this great multitude let the whole matter appeare that euery one may see that the matter of it selfe is as bad as y e indictment purporteth as he hath confessed Wherto in respect y t the Iustice of y e Realme hath bin of late very impudētly slaūdered al yeelded as a thing necessarie to satisfie the world in particular of y t which was but summarily comprised in y e indictmēt though in the lawe his confession serued sufficiently to haue proceeded thereupon vnto iudgement Whereupon the Lordes and others the Commissioners her Maiesties learned Counsel and Parry him self agreed that Parrys confession taken the xi and xiii of Februarie 1584. before the Lord of Hunsdon master Vicechamberlaine and master Secretarie and Cardinall de Como his letters and Parrys letters to the Lorde Treasourer and Lorde Stewarde should be openly read And Parry for the better satisfying of the people and standers by offered to reade them him selfe but being tolde that the order was the Clerke of the Crowne should reade them it was so resolued of all partes And then master Vicechamberlaine caused to be shewed to Parry his sayde confession the
Well said he what will you say if I shew further authoritie then this euen from Rome it selfe a plaine dispensation for the killing of her wherein you shall finde it as I said before meritorious Good cousin said I when you shall shewe it me I shal thinke it very strange when I shall see one to holde that for meritorious which another holdeth for damnable Well saide Parry doe me but the fauour to thinke vpon it till to morowe and if one man be in the towne I will not faile to shewe you the thing it selfe and if he be not he will be within these v. or sixe dayes at which time if it please you to meete me at Chanon Rowe we may there receiue the Sacrament to bee true eche to other and then I will discouer vnto you both the partie and the thing it selfe Whereupon I praied Parry to thinke better vpon it as a matter of great charge both of soule and body I would to God sayde Parry you were as perfectly perswaded in it as I am for then vndoubtedly you should doe God great seruice Not long after viii or x. dayes as I remember Parry comming to visit me at my lodging in Herns rents in Holborne as he often vsed we walked foorth into the fields where he renewed againe his determination to kil her Maiestie whome he saide he thought most vnworthie to liue and that he wondred I was so scrupulous therein She hath sought said he your ruine and ouerthrow why shoulde you not then seeke to reuenge it I confesse quoth I that my case is harde but yet am I not so desperate as to reuenge it vpon my selfe which must needes be the euent of so vnhonest and vnpossible an enterprise Unpossible said Parry I wonder at you for in trueth there is not any thing more easie you are no Courtier and therefore knowe not her customes of walking with small traine and often in the garden very priuately at which time my selfe may easily haue accesse vnto her and you also when you are knowen in Courte Upō the fact we must haue a barge ready to cary vs with speede downe the riuer where we wil haue a shippe ready to transport vs if it be needefull but vpon my head wee shall neuer be followed so farre I asked him Howe will you escape foorth of the garden for you shall not be permitted to carie any men with you and the gates will then be locked neither can you carie a Dagge without suspition As for a Dagge said Parry I care not my Dagger is enough And as for my escaping those that shalbe with her will be so busie about her as I shall finde opportunitie enough to escape if you be there ready with the Barge to receiue me But if this seeme daungerous in respect of your reason before shewed let it then rest till her comming to S. Iames and let vs furnish our selues in the meane time with men and horse fitte for the purpose we may eache of vs keepe eight or ten men without suspition And for my part saide he I shal finde good fellowes that will followe me without suspecting mine intent It is much said hee that so many resolute men may doe vpon the sudaine being well appoynted with eache his Case of Dagges if they were an hundreth wayting vpon her they were not able to saue her you comming of the one side and I on the other and discharging our Dagges vpon her it were vnhappie if we shoulde both misse her But if our Dagges faile I shall bestirre mee well with a sworde ere shee escape me Whereunto I saide Good Doctour giue ouer this odious enterprise and trouble me no more with the hearing of that which in heart I lothe so much I woulde to God the enterprise were honest that I might make knowen vnto thee whether I want resolution And not long after her Maiestie came to S. Iames after which one morning the day certaine I remember not Parry reuiued againe his former discourse of killing her Maiestie with great earnestnesse and importunity perswading me to ioyne therein saying he thought me the onely man of Englande like to performe it in respect of my valure as he termed it Whereupon I made semblance as if I had bene more willing to heare him then before hoping by that meanes to cause him to deliuer his minde to some other y t might be witnes therof with me wherein neuerthelesse I failed After al this on Saturday last being the sixt of Februarie betweene the houres of fiue and sixe in the after noone Parry came to my chamber and desired to talke with me a part wherevpon we drew our selues to a window And where I had tolde Parry before that a learned man whō I met by chaunce in the fieldes vnto whome I proponed the question touching her Maiestie had answered mee that it was an enterprise most villanous and damnable willing me to discharge my selfe of it Parry then desired to knowe that learned mans name and what was become of him saying after a scornefull manner No doubt he was a very wise man and you wiser in beleeuing him and said further I hope you tolde him not that I had any thing from Rome Yes in trueth saide I. Whereunto Parry saide I would you had not named me nor spoken of any thing I had from Rome And thereupon hee earnestly perswaded mee eftsoones to depart beyonde the seas promising to procure me safe passage into Wales and from thence into Britaine whereat we ended But I then resolued not to do so but to discharge my conscience and lay open this his most traiterous and abhominable intention against her Maiestie which I reuealed in sorte as is before set downe Edmund Neuil AFter this cōfession of Edmund Neuil William Parry the 11. day of Febr. last being examined in y e Tower of London by the Lorde Hunsdon Lorde Gouernour of Barwicke Sir Christopher Hatton knight Uicechamberlaine to her Maiestie Sir Francis Walsingham Knight principal Secretarie to her Maiestie did voluntarie and without any constraint by woorde of mouth make confession of his saide Treason and after set it downe in writing all with his owne hande in his lodging in y e Tower and sent it to the Court the 13. of the same by the Lieutenant of the Tower The partes whereof cōcerning his maner of doing the same and the treasons wherewith he was iustly charged are here set downe word for word as they are written and signed with his owne hand name the 11. of Februarie 1584. ¶ The voluntarie confession of William Parry in wryting all with his owne hand The voluntarie confession of William Parry Doctor of the Lawes now prisoner in the Tower and accused of Treason by Edmund Neuil Esquier promised by him with al faith humillitie to the Queenes Maiestie in discharge of his conscience and duetie towardes God and her Before The Lorde Hunsdon L. Gouernour of Barwicke Sir Christopher Hatton knight Vicechamberlain Sir Francis
shoulde serue And that though hee woulde not lay hand vpon her in a corner his hart serued him to strike off her head in the fielde Nowe leauing him to himselfe this much to make an ende I must confesse of my self I did meane to trie what might be done in Parliament to doe my best to hinder all hard courses to haue prayed hearing of the Queenes Maiestie to moue her if I coulde to take compassion vpon her Catholique subiectes and when all had fayled to doe as I entended If her Maiestie by this course would haue eased thē though she had neuer preferred me I had with all comfort and patience borne it 13 but if she had preferred me without ease or care of them thenterprise had held Parry GOd preserue the Queene and encline her mercifull heart to forgiue me this desperate purpose and to take my head with all my heart for her better satisfaction AFter which for the better manifesting of his Treasons on the xiiii of Februarie last there was a letter written by him to her Maiestie very voluntarily al of his owne hand without any motion made to him The tenor whereof for that which concerneth these his traiterous dealings is as followeth A Letter written by Parry to her Maiestie YOur Maiestie may see by my voluntarie confession the dangerous fruites of a discontented minde and howe constantly I pursued my first conceiued purpose in Venice for the reliefe of the afflicted Catholiques continued it in Lions and resolued in Paris to put it in aduenture for the restitution of England to the auncient obedience of the Sea Apostolique You may see withall howe it is commended allowed and warranted in conscience diuinitie and pollicie by the Pope and some great Diuines though it be true or likely that most of our English Diuines lesse practised in matters of this weight doe vtterly mislike and condemne it The enterprise is preuented and conspiracie discouered by an honorable Gentleman my kinsman and late familiar friend Master Edmund Neuill priuie and by solemne othe taken vpon the Bible partie to the matter whereof I am hardly glad but nowe sorie in my very soule that euer I conceiued or intended it howe commendable or meritorious so euer I thought it God thanke him and forgiue me who woulde not nowe before God attempt it if I had libertie and oportunitie to doe it to gaine your kingdome I beseeche Christ that my death and example may aswell satisfie your Maiestie and the worlde as it shall glad and content me The Queene of Scotland is your prisoner let her be honorably entreated but yet surely garded The French King is French you knowe it well ynough you will finde him occupied when he should doe you good he will not loose a Pilgrimage to saue you a crowne I haue no more to say at this time but that with my hart and soule I doe now honor and loue you am inwardly sorie for mine offence and ready to make you amends by my death and patience Discharge me A culpa but not A paena good Ladie And so farewell most gracious and the best natured and qualified Queene that euer liued in England From the Towre the 14. of Februarie 1584. W. Parry AFter which to wit the xviii of February last past Parry in further acknowledging his wicked and intended Treasons wrote a letter all of his owne hande in like voluntarie maner to the Lorde Treasourer of England and the Earle of Leicester Lord Steward of her Maiesties house the Tenor whereof is as followeth William Parrys Letter to the Lord Treasourer and the Earle of Leycester MY Lordes nowe that the conspiracie is discouered the fault confessed my conscience cleared and minde prepared patiently to suffer the paines due for so hainous a crime I hope it shall not offende you if crying Miserere with the poore Publicane I leaue to despaire with cursed Caine. My case is rare and strange and for any thing I can remember singular a naturall subiect solemnely to vowe the death of his naturall Queene so borne so knowen and so taken by all men for the reliefe of the afflicted Catholiques and restitution of religion The matter first conceiued in Venice the seruice in generall wordes presented to the Pope continued and vndertaken in Paris and lastly commended and warranted by his holinesse digested resolued in England if it had not bene preuented by accusation or by her Maiesties greater lenitie and more gracious vsage of her Catholique subiectes This is my first and last offence conceiued against my Prince or Countrey and doeth I cannot denie conteyne all other faults whatsoeuer It is nowe to be punished by death or most graciously beyonde all common expectation to be pardoned Death I doe confesse to haue deserued life I doe with all humilitie craue if it may stand with the Queenes honour and policie of the time To leaue so great a treason vnpunished were strange To drawe it by my death in example were dangerous A sworne seruāt to take vpon him such an enterprise vpon such a ground and by such a warrant hath not bin seene in England To indict him arraigne him bring him to the Scaffolde and to publish his offence can doe no good To hope that he hath more to discouer then is confessed or that at his execution he will vnsay any thing he hath written is in vaine To conclude that it is impossible for him in time to make some part of amēdes were very hard against former experiences The question then is whether it be better to kill him or least the matter be mistakē vpon hope of his amendment to pardon him For mine own opinion though partial I will deliuer you my conscience The case is good Queene Elizabeths the offence is committed against her sacred person and she may of her mercie pardon it without preiudice to any Then this I say in fewe wordes as a man more desirous to discharge his troubled conscience then to liue Pardon poore Parry and relieue him for life without liuing is not fit for him If this may not be or be thought dangerous or dishonourable to the Queenes Maiestie as by your fauours I thinke it full of honour and mercie then I beseeche your Lordships and no other once to heare me before I be indicted and afterwards if I must dye humbly to intreate the Queenes Maiestie to hasten my tryall and execution which I pray God with all my heart may prooue as honourable to her as I hope it shall be happie to me who will while I liue as I haue done alwayes pray to Iesus Christ for her Maiesties long and prosperous reigne From the Towre the 18. of Februarie 1584. W. Parry ANd where in this meane time Sir Frauncis Walsingham Secretarie to her Maiestie had dealt with one William Creichton a Scot for his birth and a Iesuite by his profession nowe prisoner also in the Tower for that he was apprehended with diuers Plots for inuasions of this Realme
wherunto their honours answered that they vsed not any spech or worde of torture to him You sayde sayd Parry that you would proceede with rigour against me if I would not confesse it of my selfe But their honours expresly affirmed that they vsed no such words But I will tell thee sayd Master Vicechamberlayne what we saide I spake these words If you will willingly vtter the truth of your selfe it may do you good and I wish you to doe so If you will not wee must then proceede in ordinary course to take your examination Whereunto you answered that you would tell the trueth of your selfe Was not this true which then hee yeelded vnto And hereunto her Maiesties Attourney generall put Parry in remembraunce what speeches hee vsed to the Lieutenant of the Tower the Queenes Maiesties Seriant at Lawe Master Gaudie and the same Attourney on Satterday y e twentieth of February last at y e Tower vpon that hee was by them then examined by order from y e Lords which was that he acknowledged he was most myldely and fauourably dealt with in all his examinations which he also at the Barre then acknowledged to be true Then Master Vicechamberlayne sayde that it was wonder to see the magnanymitie of her Maiestie which after that thou haddest opened those trayterous practises in sort as thou hast layd it downe in thy confession was neuerthelesse such and so farre from all feare as that shee woulde not so much as acquaint any one of her highnes priuie Counsel with it to his knowledge no not vntil after this thine enterprise discouered made manifest And besides that which thou hast set downe vnder thine owne hande thou diddest confesse that thou haddest prepared two Scottish Daggers fit for such a purpose and those being disposed away by thee thou diddest say that an other would serue thy turne And with all Parry diddest thou not also confesse before vs howe wonderfully thou wert appauled and perplexed vpon a suddaine at the presence of her Maiestie at Hampton Court this last Sommer saying that thou diddest thinke thou then sawest in her the very likenes image of king Henry the seuenth And that therewith and vpon some speeches vsed by her Maiestie thou diddest turne about and weepe bitterly to thy selfe And yet diddest call to mynde that thy vowes were in heauen thy letters and promises on earth and that therefore thou diddest say with thy selfe that there was no remedy but to do it diddest thou not confesse this the which he acknowledged Then saide the lorde Hunsdon Sayest thou nowe that thou diddest neuer meane to kill the Queene diddest thou not confesse that when thou diddest vtter this practise of trecherie to her Maiestie that thou diddest couer it with al the skill thou haddest and that it was done by thee rather to get credite and accesse thereby then for any regard thou haddest of her person but in trueth thou diddest it that thereby thou mightest haue better oportunitie to performe thy wicked enterprise And wouldest thou haue runne into such feare as thou diddest confesse that thou wert in when thou diddest vtter it if thou haddest neuer meant it what reason canst thou shewe for thy selfe With that he cryed out in a furious maner I neuer meant to kill her I will lay my blood vpon Queene Elizabeth and you before God and the worlde and thereupon fell into a rage and euill wordes with the Queenes Maiesties Attourney generall Then said the lord Hunsdon This is but thy popish pride and ostentation which thou wouldest haue to be told to thy fellowes of that faction to make them belieue that thou diest for poperie when thou diest for most horrible and dangerous treasons against her Maiestie and thy whole countrey For thy laying of thy blood it must lye on thine owne head as a iust reward of thy wickednesse The lawes of the Realme most iustly condemne thee to die out of thine owne mouth for the conspiring the destruction both of her Maiestie and of vs all therefore thy blood be vpon thee neither her Maiestie nor we at any time sought it thy selfe hast spilt it Then he was asked what he coulde say why iudgemeÌ„t of death ought not to be awarded against him Whereto he said he did see that he must die because he was not setled What meanest thou by that said master Vicechamberlaine Said he looke into your studie and into your newe bookes and you shall finde what I meane I protest said his honour I knowe not what thou meanest thou doest not well to vse such darke speaches vnlesse thou wouldest plainely vtter what thou meanest thereby But he saide he cared not for death and that hee would laye his blood amongst them Then spake the lorde chiefe Iustice of England being required to giue the iudgement and saide Parry you haue bene much heard and what you meane by being setled I knowe not but I see you are so setled in poperie that you cannot settle your selfe to be a good subiect But touching that you should say to stay iudgement from being giuen against you your speaches must be of one of these kindes â—â—ther to proue the Inditement which you haue confessed to be true to be insufficient in lawe or els to pleade somewhat touching her Maiesties mercie why Iustice should not be â—â—â—e of you All other speaches wherein you haue vsed great libertie is more then by lawe you can aske These be the matters you must looke to what say you to them whereto he said nothing Then said the lord chiefe Iustice Parry thou hast bene before this time indited of diuers most horrible and hatefull treasons coÌ„mitted against thy most gratious Soueraigne and natiue countrey the matter most detestable the maner most subtile and dangerous and the occasions and meanes that led thee thereunto most vngodly and villanous That thou diddest intende it it is most euident by thy selfe The matter was the destruction of a most sacred and an anoynted Queene thy soueraigne mystresse who hath shewed thee such fauour as some thy betters haue not obteined yea the ouerthrowe of thy countrey wherein thou wert borne and of a most happie common wealth whereof thou art a member and of such a Queene as hath bestowed on thee the benefite of all benefites in this worlde that is thy life heretofore graunted thee by her mercie when thou haddest lost it by Iustice and desert Yet thou her seruant sworne to defende her mentest with thy bloodie hande to haue taken away her life that mercifully gaue thee thine when it was yeelded into her handes This is the matter wherein thou hast offended The maner was most subtile and dangerous beyonde all that before thee haue committed any wickednes against her Maiestie For thou making shewe as if thou wouldest simplie haue vttered for her safetie the euill that others had contriued diddest but seeke thereby credite accesse that thou mightest take the apter opportunitie for her destruction And for the
in the beginning of this Parliament in Nouember last hee did eftsones solemnely in publique place take the othe before mentioned of obedience to her Maiestie Howe that may stande with his reconciliations to the Pope and with his promises vowes and othe to kill the Queene it is a thing can hardly bee warranted vnlesse it bee by some speciall priuiledge of the Popes omnipotencie But let him haue the glorie hee desired to liue and die a Papist Hee deserued it it is fit for him his death was correspondent to the course of his life which was disloyall periured and traiterous towardes her Maiestie and false and perfidious towardes the Pope himselfe and his Catholiques if they will beleeue his solemne protestations which he made at his arraignement and execution that he neuer ment nor intended any hurt to her Highnes person For if that be true where are then his vowes which he said were in heauen his letters promises vpon earth Why hath he stollen out of the Popes shoppe so large an Indulgence and plenarie remission of all his sinnes and meant to perfourme nothing that hee promised Why was his deuotion and zeale so highly commended Why was hee so specially prayed for and remembred at the Altar All these great fauours were then bestowed vpon him without cause or desert for hee deceiued the Pope he deceiued the Cardinals and Iesuites with a false semblance and pretence to do that thing which he neuer meant But the matter is cleare the conspiracie and his traiterous intent is too plaine and euident it is the Lorde that reuealed it in time and preuented their malice there lacked no wil or readinesse in him to execute that horrible fact It is the Lorde that hath preserued her Maiestie from all the wicked practises and conspiracies of that hellish rable it is hee that hath most graciously deliuered her from the hands of this traiterous miscreant The Lord is her onely defence in whome shee hath alwayes trusted The Printer to the Reader WHEN I had taken in hande and beganne the printing of this treatise or declaration aforesaide a gentleman of good vnderstanding and learning came to me and being made acquainted by mee with the former treatise hee saide that hee had by conference with diuers that were at the araignement of this traytor where also he himselfe was present collected together the whole proceeding against him and had also attained to the viewe of all his cōfessions his letters and other writings there published against him by all which hee had gathered into a shorte Treatise most manifest proofes of the horrible treason intended by the Traytor against her Maiestie And although the former treatise doeth at length manifestly declare the same yet I required this Gentleman my friende to graunt mee the copying of his collections which hee was willing to doe And so I haue bene bolde for the more ample satisfaction of euery reader to adde the same hereunto Wherein also gentle Reader thou shalt finde inserted these Figures 1.2.3.4 c. till 13. And the like in the Traitors owne Confession by which is noted the principall pointes of the drift of this most horrible Treason A fewe obseruations gathered out of the very wordes and writings of William Parry the traytour applied to proue his trayterous coniuration with a resolute intent imagination purpose and obstinate determination to haue killed her Maiestie our most gratious soueraigne whome the Lorde hath saued and euer may he saue by his mercy THis W. Parry the traytor 1. cōfesseth to haue conceiued the treason at Venice by conference with Ben. Palmio of whom he still thinketh so well as he can not but speake of him with reuerent mention whereas if he had neuer thought or did nowe forethinke the Treason hee would rather curse the time that euer hee met with such a bloody and treacherous ghostly father Well this graue and learned Frier Palmio saith he made the matter cleare in religion conscience and commended the Traytours deuotion This treason Parry so apprehended as he wrote presently to the Pope presenting the seruice 2 Returned to Paris hee conferred with Morgan vowed to performe it for restitution of England c. 3 Being disswaded as the credible man writeth by Wats he replied that he was gone so farre as he could not go backe but promised faithfully to perfourme thenterprise if y e Pope woulde vpon his offers and letters allowe it and graunt remission c. Where this by the way is to be noted that if the opinions of these English Priests as he will needes make vs belieue were differing from the Pope and our English Iesuites varying from Iesuite Palmio and other beyonde sea Iesuites in the question of murdering a Prince some of them at least would haue giuen loyall intelligence of such a treason conceiued nourished in that man who had made so many priuie both beyonde and on this side the sea and coulde not be disswaded from his purpose but euer departed with a resolution contrary to these colde disswaders It were no good pollicie to trust this popish Traytour but rather to suspect all Pope-created Priestes to be of the same mind with their supreme head and all English Iesuites to consent with forreyne Iesuites their fellowe members They be all of one order and vowe they haue one superiour and if they had detested this fact in deede some of them seeing the wretch to persist must needes haue bewrayed it not to suffer him to go on headlong in such a sinne leauing her royal person to the will and malice as much as in them lay of a murthering Ruffian But to proue his intent with continuance growing of the same 4 againe he writeth letters to the Pope in Ianu. 1584. by that account tooke aduise vpon them in confession of An. Codreto was cōmended againe confessed tooke the Sacrament verely cruentum sacramentum sacrificium cruoris at the Iesuites at one altar with the Cardinales of Vandosmi and of Narbone Hereof he had certificate to the Pope which he sent enclosed in his letters to his Holinesse to leade him to absolue him which he required in consideration of so great an enterprise vndertaken without reward 5 The letter and certificat he read to Ragazzoni and left with him to be sent to the Pope who wished him good speede promising he should be remembred at the altar 6 He doubteth least if Morgan died and he miscaried in thexecution as he did God be thanked and choked in the halter notwithstanding their remembrance at the altar and his intent neuer truely discouered that is to say that he did it for the Catholikes it might be a spot in his race Marke here the very worde intent in his owne confession Morgan assureth him that the lord Fernehurst should go into Scotlād be ready to enter vpō the first newes of our Queenes fall Thus much for his intent beyonde Sea and before his coniuration discouered Upon his arriual in England he
wrote to Court that he had a speciall seruice of discouerie to the Queene but with what intent let his owne words speake more to prepare accesse and credite then for any care had of her person Admitted to her gracious audience he discouered the coniuration yet in what maner let him selfe say euen couered with all the skill he had This intent was with deepe Treason for as he sayth so he did he disclosed onely so much as hee thought good and necessary to grounde in her highnesse a setled confidence towards him whereby he might effect his trayterous intent with better oportunitie and his owne safetie He be â—â—ayed himselfe so farre as he might couer his chiefe drift many principall things concealed nothing of lord Fernehurst with 〈◊〉 Scottish forces c. Receiuing from the Pope himseâ—â—â—â— commendation and allowance of his enterprise of encouragement plenarie indulgence by no meaner 〈…〉 â—â—rdinal di Como though he shewed the letter to 〈◊〉 â—aiestie not for any care of her person but for his better aâ—â—esse and credit as the rest yet let his owne wordes tell what his intent was at the very receiuing and shewing the â—ame setter Forsooth saith he this letter confirmed 〈◊〉 â—esolution to kill the Queene making it cleere in his 〈◊〉 science as a thing lawfull and meritorious Now is his intent growen a resolution not doubtful but cleare in conscience not alone lawfull but meritorious Papa dixit a Cardinall is Nuncio Whâ—â— other thing is this then for y e Pope his Cardinals like another Antoninus Commodus to make one Inter sicarios â— glaediatores The deuill enforcing thiâ— traytours heart 〈◊〉 â—xecute his intent he was troubled looking vpon the â—ueene and remembring her excellencies yet he saw no remedie his vowes were in heauen his letters and promises on earth Yea he stroue to cloze his 〈◊〉 at these excellencies and obstinated his heart by seeking reasons to quenche all sparkes of humanitie allegiance arising in his thoughts For thus reasoneth he against his coÌ„science Why shouldst thou care for her what hath she done for thee hast thou not spent tenne thousand markes c. What more deuilish intent coulde possesse a traytour then to labour to suppresse a smal remaine of conscience abhorring to kill so excellent a personage which God stirred vp in his thoughtes to his iuster condeÌ„nation D. Allens booke redoubled his former conceites euery word was a warrant to a prepared mind See how the smoothe words of that Catholique booke are enterpreted and conceiued One spirite occupieth the Catholique reader with the Catholique writer and therefore can best expound the writers sence in his readers mouth euen to bee a booke fraught with emphaticall speaches of energeticall perswasion to kill and depose her Maiestie and yet doeth the hypocrite writer that traitour Catholique dissemble and protest otherwise Parry suffering repulse in a suite for S. Katherins communeth with M. Neuill recommendeth the enterprise as honourable and profitable to the Catholique common weale Being preiudiced in opinion of Allens booke as before hee commendeth it and deliuereth it to Neuill thereby to worke the same vile intent in him which it had alreadie confirmed in himselfe He tooke nowe an other othe vpon the Bible after the maner of a Protestant to pursue thenterprise and meant he saith to perfourme it so farre forth as the place and maner of doing was appointed This second coniuration he neuer bewrayed in sixe moneths till accused by Neuill and then at first denied it Finally to declare his height of malice hee saith if the Queene had preferred him neuer so greatly yet must this bloodie enterprise haue holden except shee had relieued the Catholiques Was this no intent which neyther benefite nor bountie coulde stay which neither feare of God nor reuerence of excellencie coulde repell which neither dread of punishment nor tract of time could remooue Did he conceiue it conferre and aduise of it vowe himselfe to the execrable seruice present offer it harden his heart against others disswasions beate backe contrarie motions of his owne conscience goe so farre as hee coulde not goe backe promise it faithfully receiue a Church Sacrament thereupon make certificat thereof propound himselfe the ende and reason of his intent discourse vpon the contingent sequele preuenting the spot of his race receiue letters of allowance commendation encouragement and absolution could he vowe in heauen and promise on earth coulde hee doe all this in a thing which he meant not Could he resolue and confirme his resolution of a thing which he intended not yea coulde hee intende and meane for all these be his owne wordes that which he neuer meant nor intended could he redouble his conceits and haue a prepared minde for that hee intended not would such a craftie traitour practise with others by perswasiue speach and trayterous booke in such a matter as the onely broching thereof must capitally endamage his kinseman and friende and withall lay his owne head in his friendes hand and yet notwithstanding either he ment this treasoÌ„ either els he litle loued his friend to tempt him so dangerously whom yet he saith hee loued so as to suffer his finger in his dish and his hand in his purse But which is aboue all would any man sweare againe on the Bible appoint time and place conceale it with as much perill as if hee had done it would hee denie it would so ambitious a man discontent himselfe with all preferment for that chieuing of that which hee meant not was this mischieuous course begunne and continued a long time at home and abroade in many kingdomes communicated with many persons of seuerall nation and qualitie as Pope Cardinall Nuntio Frier Priest Kings Secretarie and Ambassadours all this while not meant Was it frankly and voluntarily confessed meant finally recorded by pleading guiltie in maner and fourme with all circumstance and yet could hee dye an innocent for intent All this falling vpon no simple man but vpon one not nowe the first time holding vp his hande at barre and vpon a Doctour of lawe the very hoode whereof is able to giue a man more iudgement then to slip without light in all these things I knowe not howe he may be excused without strong suspition of the excuser And yf a Prince may not iudge a wicked seruant out of his owne mouth nor determine an offence by two or three mouthes it were a notable world for Traitors and murderers thus to haue all proceedings set loose as well of our common Lawes which condemne vpon all euidences as of y e ciuill lawes which giue capitall sentence vpon confession onely yea Moses wisedome is ouerreached and Christes equitie in his Euangelicall parable against the lewde seruant not vsing his talent is eluded All this is also ratified by voluntarie letters of his to her Maiestie apart to her honorable Counsell And if any Italianate Papist neuerthelesse will needes beleeue this repugnancie of his last speaches let
Walsingham knight principal secretarie the 13. of Februarie 1584. Parry IN the yeere 1570 I was sworne her Maiesties seruant from which time vntill the yere 1580. I serued honoured loued her with as great readinesse deuotion assurance as any poore subiect in England In the end of that yere and vntill Midsomer 1582. I had some trouble for the hurting of a Gentleman of the Temple In which action I was so disgraced and oppressed by two great men to whome I haue of late beene beholden that I neuer had contented thought since There began my misfortune here followeth my wofull fall In Iulie after I laboured for licence to trauaile for three yeeres which vpon some consideration was easily obtained And so in August I went ouer with doubtfull minde of returne for that being suspected in religion and not hauing receiued the Communion in 22. yeeres I began to mistrust my aduauncement in England In September I came to Paris where I was reconciled to the Church and aduised to liue without scandale the rather for that it was mistrusted by the English Catholiques that I had intelligence with the greatest counsellour of Englande I stayed not long there but remooued to Lyons a place of great traffique where because it was the ordinarie passage of our nation to and fro betweene Paris and Rome I was also suspected To put all men out of doubt of me and for some other cause I went to Millaine from whence as a place of some daunger though I founde fauour there after I had cleared my conscience and iustified my selfe in religion before y e Inquisitour I wēt to Uenice There I came acquainted with father Benedicto Palmio a graue a learned Iesuite By conference with him of the hard state of the Catholiques in England and by reading of the Booke De persecutione Anglicana and other discourses of like argument I conceiued a possible meane to relieue the afflicted state of our Catholiques if the same might be wel warranted in religion and conscience by the Pope or some learned diuines I asked his opinion hee made it cleare commended my deuotion comforted mee in it and after a while made me knowen to the Nuntio Campeggio there resident for his holinesse By his meanes I wrote to the Pope presented the seruice and fued for a Pasport to goe to Rome to returne safely into France Answere came from Cardinal Como that I might come and should be welcome I misliked the warrant sued for a better which I was promised but it came not before my departure to Lyons where I promised to stay some time for it And being in deede desirous to goe to Rome and lothe to goe without countenaunce I desired Christofero de Salazar Secretarie to the king Catholique in Venice who had some vnderstanding by conference of my deuotion to the afflicted Catholiques at home and abroad to commende me to the Duke di Noua terra Gouernour of Millan and to the Countie of Oliuaris Embi then resident for the king his master in Rome which he promised to do effectually for the one and did for the other And so I toke my iourney towards Lyons whither came for me an ample Passeport but somewhat too late that I might come and goe in verbo pontificis per omnes iurisdictiones ecclesiasticas absque impedimento I acquainted some good fathers there of my necessitie to depart towardes Paris by promise and praied their aduises vpon diuers poyntes wherein I was well satisfied And so assuring them that his holinesse shoulde heare from me shortly it was vndertaken that I shoulde bee excused for that time In October I came to Paris where vppon better opinion conceiued of mee amongst my Catholike countrie men I founde my credit wel setled and such as mistrusted me before readie to trust and imbrace me And being one day at the chamber of Thomas Morgan a Catholike Gentleman greatly beloued and trusted on that side amongest other gentlemen talking but in very good sort of Englande I was desired by Morgan to goe vp with him to another chamber where he brake with me and told mee that it was hoped and looked for that I shoulde doe some seruice for God and his Church I answered him I would do it if it were to kill the greatest subiect in England whome I named and in trueth then hated No no said he let him liue to his greater fal ruine of his house It is the Queene I meane I had him as I wished and tolde him it were soone done if it might be lawfully done and warranted in the opinion of some learned diuines And so the doubt once resolued though as you haue heard I was before reasonably well satisfied I vowed to vndertake the enterprise for the restitution of England to the auncient obedience of the Sea Apostolique Diuers diuines were named Doctor Alleine I desired Persons I refused And by chance came Maister Wattes a learned Priest with whō I conferred and was ouerruled 3 For he plainly pronounced the case only altered in name y t it was vtterly vnlawfull with whō many English priestes did agree as I haue heard if it be not altered since the booke made in answere of The executiō of the English Iustice was published which I must cōfesse hath taken hard hold in me and I feare me wil do in others if it be not preuēted by more gracious handling of the quiet obedient Catholique subiects whereof there is good and greater store in Englād then this age wil extinguish Wel notwithstanding all these doubts I was gone so farre by letters and conference in Italie that I coulde not goe backe but promised faithfully to performe the enterprise if his holinesse vpon my offer and letters would allowe it and grant me ful remission of my sinnes I wrote my letters the first of Ianuarie 1584. by their computation tooke aduise vpon them in confession of Father Aniball a Codreto a learned Iesuite in Paris was louingly embraced commended confessed and communicated at the Iesuites at one altar with the Cardinalles of Vandosmi and Narbone whereof I prayed certificate and enclosed the same in my letter to his holinesse to leade him the rather to absolue me which I required by my letters in consideration of so great an enterprise vndertaken without promise or reward I went with Morgan to the Nuntio Ragazzoni to whome I read the letter and certificate enclosed sealed it and left it with him to send to Rome hee promised great care of it and to procure answere And so louingly imbraced me wished mee good speede and promised that I should be remembred at y e altar After this I desired Morgan that some special man might be made priuie to this matter lest hee dying and I miscarying in the execution and my entent neuer truely discouered it might sticke for an euerlasting spot in my race Diuers were named but none agreed vpon for feare of bewraying 7 This being done Morgan assured me y t shortly