late Popish Army many of the Officers and Souldiers had secret orders not to sell their Horses but to be in a readines for that they should have occasion to use them again within a fortnight and so it happen'd for within less than a fortnight after the disbanding the Rebellion broke out in Scotland So well acquainted were the Authors of this mischief with the time when it would happen Now this Insurrection was in two respects advantageous to the Catholick Party for first among Foreigners and Strangers who were not acquainted with the depth of their Intrigues it seem'd to cast the Plot upon the Non-Conformists and 2ly being beaten by the King's Forces whereof no other was to be expected it might make both them and us less apt to rise upon any account whatsoever But here give me leave to present you with one observation which is that if this had been a Fanatical Plot the same Party would certainly have risen in England at the same time when their Brethren of Scotland were in Arms the encouraging of one another being of more consequence to both than the expectation of the others success III. After the Catholicks had thus brought the Father's Head to the Block and sent the young Princes into Exile let us reflect upon their usage of them in France and see whether the kindness that the French Catholicks then paid to our King was sufficient to bring us into that Misery wherein we are immers'd by so entirely espousing the French and Papists Cause even almost to the destruction of the Protestant Religion and ruine of all Christendom besides Did their banishing of His Majesty and slighting of him whilst he was amongst them deserve this kindness at our hands What charitable Christians are we grown thus to return good for evil I must confess they did ever treat his R. H. with some Respect as finding him to retain more favourable inclinations both towards their Religion and Government than His gracious Majesty did whose understanding and wit as it made him contemn their Superstitious Idolatry and Fopperies so did his lenity and good nature render their Tyranny altogether odious in his sight besides if His Majesty had then discover'd in himself the least inclinations to Popery it might in all probability have rendred the Crown of England unaccessible However I cannot but ascribe great part of our present Calamities to his Highnesses Education in that Arbitrary and Popish Government With what eagerness have we assisted them in their Conquests even to the defamation of our own Honour and violation of our publick Faith with all the rest of Christendom We first made Them an Idol and now we worshipt it we first taught them the Art of Navigation and now are ready to strike Sail to them our selves Not any new invention that is of use either in building Ships or making Ordnance can be discover'd here but immediately we charitable English for fear we should be too strong for them must communicate it to our dear Brethren the French Nor have we been altogether unkind to the rest of our Neighbours when by procuring a general Peace we have pluck'd the Thorns out of their feet to put 'em in our own made a Peace for them in order to bring a War upon our selves I confess when I think how faithful we have been to the French in all these late Wars as also how much Service our English Cannon whereof we have too great plenty did them at their Siege of Valenciennes I cannot but call to mind Commines relation of King Lewis the Eleventh's bribing our English Councel paying at that time yearly Pensions to the Lord Chancellor Master of the Rolls Hastings Lord High Chamberlain Lord Howard and all other persons who had any power or Interest with their Master King Edward for is something of this nature did not prevail amongst us His Majesty would never have adher'd to any but the Dutch whose perpetual Interest it is to keep the Crown upon his Head for that nothing would so much advantage France and ruine Holland as to have England become a Commonwealth when like Rome and Carthage being continually clashing together the French might in time ruine both IV. Having but now mentioned Commines give me leave to insert another Story of his which may be very much to our purpose to shew you that when God designs the destruction of a King or People he makes them deaf to all discoveries be they never so obvious This account is concerning the Duke of Burgundy who being at War with Lewis the XI of France entertain'd as his chief Minister and Favourite the Earl of Campobache upon whom he bestow'd great Gifts committing to his care his whole concerns But this Earl having no sense either of Honour or Gratitude took the advantage of his Masters the Dukes troubles and set up a resolution to destroy him For which end and purpose he began under-hand to treat both with the Duke of Lorrain and with divers of the Kings Officers that were Quarter'd in Champaigne near to the Dukes Camp Now to the Duke of Lorrain he promised so to order the marter that this Siege of his Masters the Duke of Burgundy against Nancy should take no effect for he would take care that such things as were necessary either for the Siege or Battery should be wanting which promise he was able to perform for that the principal charge thereof was committed to him neither had any man so great Authority as he in the Army under the Duke of Burgundy But to the Kings Officers he promis'd either to kill his Master or take him Prisoner demanding for his recompence thereof the charge of those 400 Lances which he had then in keeping with 20000 Crowns in ready money and some good Earldom in France Now whilst the Earl of Campobache was plotting these Treasons one Cifron a Gentleman belonging to the Duke and that was acquainted with this Earl's Conspiracy happen'd in attempting to relieve the Town of Nancy to be taken Prisoner by the Duke of Burgundy who was set down before it Whereupon this Cifron being condemn'd to die in hopes of a Pardon offer'd that if the Duke would give him Audience he would reveal a secret to him which concern'd his Life whereof certain Gentlemen to whom Cifron had told this went to advertise the Duke with whom at their arrival they found this Earl of Campobache come thither as was suppos'd on purpose to be always ready fearing left Cifron to save his own Life should have any such intent to reveal the Conspiracy The Duke return'd this Answer to the Gentlemen who brought him the Message That the Prisoner used this delay only to respite his own Death and commanded them that he should discover what he knew to them which way the Earl of Campobache well approv'd of Upon this Cifron reply'd That he would communicate it to no man but the Duke of Burgundy himself So that he was again by the Duke 's special
command led out to Execution but in his way thither he desired divers Gentlemen once more to acquaint their Master from him that it was such a Secret that the Duke would not for a Dutchy but know Many hearing this went again to intreat the Duke to vouchsafe him a hearing but this treacherous Earl keeping the Duke's Chamber door would not permit these Gentlemen to enter saying That the Duke had resolv'd to hear no further from him wherefore he dispatch'd away new Messengers to the Provost to hasten his Execution Thus was this Cifron hang'd to the utter ruine of the Duke of Burgundy his House and his Dominions so infatuated was his understanding After this our wicked Earl began to put in practice his Treachery for the which purpose he agreed first with a French Wakeman or Physician dwelling in Lyons call'd Mr. Simon of Pavia and afterwards with the Kings Embassador in Savoy neither of which ways succeeding he offer'd to flee with all his Forces from his Master to King Lewis but the King detesting such Treasons of a Servant against his Master sent by the Lord Conté to acquaint the Duke of Burgundy with it But the Duke as if he had been himself in the Plot against his own Life was so sottish and stupid a Prince that he receiv'd this second warning with no more sence than the former saying That if this discovery were true the King being his Enemy would never have advertised him thereof wherefore he ever after that loved the Earl rather better than before But this folly of his was justly rewarded for in a short time after when the Duke of Burgundy and the Duke of Lorrain were engaged this Earl of Campobache with many of his Forces revolted to the Enemy whereby the Duke of Burgundy's Forces were routed and he himself actually slain Never did Prince fall more unpityed than this Duke did nor did his people know which most to blame of the two either he who began this Conspiracy by his wickedness or the Duke himself who gave it success by his folly The application of which Story I shall leave for you to make V. There are four several Arguments which many times prevail with Princes to be incredulous of all pretended Conspiracies against themselves The first is drawn from their being in or made privy themselves to part of the Plot but not the whole The second From their own good nature and clemency The third From the nature of the Evidence And the fourth From the Nature and Interest of the pretended Conspirations To begin then with the first When the Prince hath been made acquainted with the Design of introducing a new Government or new Religion but not with the Design of taking away his own Life this sometimes hath prevail'd with him not to believe that the same Party with whom he himself is in a Conspiracy should have any such other Plot against his Life But this I hope is not our case for that no Religion or Government can be so much for his Majesties advantage as that which is establish'd amongst us Since in Popery although his Majesty would be made absolute over his Subjects yet his slavery to the Pope would be so great that as well his Liberty as his Revenues would be much less than now For besides the vast sums of Money that would then go from the Exchequer to the Church I dare boldly affirm that had his Majesty been never so absolute he could not in this time have squeez'd more money from the Subject than he hath already received in Taxes since his coming in and that must have been done by a standing Army which would make him odious and eat up half his profit 'T is policy in the Prince not to take away all at one but to leave a Nest-Egg if he designs they should lay again but for the Church of Rome who ever reads our Chronicles will find that no School-boys have been greater slaves to their Masters than many of our English Kings were to the Pope and those who were above his discipline the Romish Church ever found some way or other to cut him off either by setting his own people against him as they did by King Iohn or by some infallible Catholick Poyson or by some bloody Godfrey Dagger King Edgar for his Incontinency was enjoyn'd by Dunstan Abbot of Glassenbury not to wear his Crown for seven years to which he was forced to submit King Henry II. to expiate the Murder of Thomas Becket committed by his Countries was forced to walk bare-footed three miles to visit his Shrine and then to receive fourscore lashes upon his bare back from the Monks King Iohn for opposing Pope Innocent III. was after interdicting the Realm for six years and three months forced to render his Crown to Pandulphus the Pope's Legat and take it again in Fee-farm at the Rent of a thousand Marks yearly nor did this satisfie the Popish malice for he was at last poyson'd in Swinsted Abbey by one Simon a Monk Furthermore to let you see that in the time of Popery Princes lived not so peaceably as now be pleas'd to observe that betwixt the Conquest and our Reformation seven of our English Kings were murther'd viz. King Iohn Richard I. Edward II. Richard II. Edward V. Henry VI. and Richard III. not to mention the Emperor Henry VII who was poyson'd in the Eucharist by one Bernard a Monk nor Henry III. of France stabb'd by Clement the Monk nor Henry IV. of France stabb'd by Raviliac or those many hundred Examples of this nature which I could produce out of other Chronicles So that what ever Prince considers these things aright I think he can have no Interest to introduce Popery unless he desires either to be whipp'd by a Monk or stabb'd or poyson'd by a Jesuit for in such a case 't is the Jesuits that govern and not the King VI. The second Motive which may incline a Prince to disbelieve the report of a Plot is from his own good nature and clemency which makes him not expect any ill from those to whom he has been so kind But this is a fallacious way of arguing for a Prince who would preserve himself against Conspiracy is to have an eye rather upon those he has oblig'd than those he has offended for those that are offended have not such frequent opportunities nor such easie accesses to him as the other have and for their disposition it is much alike the desire of dominion being as great if not greater than the desire of revenge We see therefore that where any great Conspiracy has been made it has been most commonly begun by such as were most familiar with the Prince and most in his favour for so it was in the Conspiracy of Perennius against Commodus Plautianus against Severus Sejanus against Tiberius all which were Favourites and highly oblig'd by their several Emperors So that what ever Prince trusts too much to the friendship of his dearest Favourites
nay to his own Brother may sometimes find himself deceiv'd The Earl of Campobache whom I mention'd before had received Favours sufficient to have oblig'd him more faithfully to his Master the Duke than he afterwards proved Brutus was as dear and many think as nearly related to Caesar as any Brother but yet we see he had a hand in his Murther The nearer a Friend is the nearer is he to be my Heir therefore the more likely to wish my death Friends are oftentimes as dear to us as our Relations therefore the Laws of Kindred may as well be violated as the Laws of Friendship than which nothing is more usual Who betrays you in your Bed Your Friend for your Enemy is not admitted to your House Who betrays you in your Estate Your Friend for your Enemy is not made your Trustee So that nothing is more dangerous than a blind Friendship The Turks well know how much more prevalent Interest is amongst Brothers than Affection which makes the Laws of their Empire take so severe a course with the Grand Seigneur's younger Brothers How many Princes have been ruin'd by their next impatient Heirs nay even sometimes by their own Sons That most prodigious Empire which Tamberlain the Great had acquired how was it torn in pieces and destroy'd by a division betwixt his two Sons Did not Cain kill Abel And was not Ioseph sold into Egypt by his Brethren Had not Agrippina her Wakeman wherewith the poyson'd her own Husband the Emperor Claudius And was not she her self afterwards kill'd by her own Son Nero If as we often see little petty Interests make one Brother wish the other's death how much more prevalent will the Interest of a Crown be nay of two Crowns viz. one here and another hereafter in Heaven promis'd him by an old Fellow with a bald Pate and a spade Beard Si violandum est jus violandum est Regnandi gratià And besides all this when a Successor observes that the Life of one single Person not only keeps him from three Kingdoms but also makes him his Family and whole Party be banish'd and persecuted you must needs acknowledge that he lyes under a great temptation to violate the sixth Commandment Which things being consider'd together with that Law which wipes off all Attainders whether of Treason or Murder by the descent of the Crown I cannot but think that a Prince's good Nature renders him secure only in his own conceit and not in reality We all know that his R. H. hath held correspondence with Cardinal Norfolk and other the Pope's Nuncio's about introducing Popery and we are likewise inform'd that Popery was to be introduced by the King's Death So how a man could be privy to the Effect without being acquainted with the Means seems very prodigious VII Thirdly Most Princes believe or disbelieve the Information which is given them of a Plot according to the nature of the Evidence and credit of the Informants First For the nature of the Evidence what is it That they had a Design to murther the King and introduce Popery What is there improbable in all this Was there never any Prince murther'd before by a Conspiracy Was there never any Attempt before to introduce into a Countrey a new Religion Why then have we so many Laws made to prevent such a thing if it seems so improbable ever to be done When the Romans forbore to make any Law against Parricide it was out of a presumption that it would never be acted But we all know that these are things which the Papists have several times before attempted amongst us witness the Gunpowder-Treason the Invasion of the Spaniards in 88. and their many Attempts both against Queen Elizabeth's and King Iames's Persons So that I cannot apprehend any thing strange in their Relation The only miracle that appears to me is that any one but those that are in the Plot should question the truth of it especially when they consider the wonderful manner of its discovery wherein the Providence of God appear'd most remarkable that still as one man's Evidence has been censured a fresh Witness hath risen up to supply and strengthen the former Had this Plot been a forged Contrivance of their own they would at the very first discovery of it have had half a dozen or half a score crafty Fellows ready to have attested all the same thing whereas on the contrary notwithstanding we are now on a burning scent we were fain till here of a late to pick out by little and little all upon a cold scent and that stained too by the tricks and malice of our Enemies So that had we not had some such good Huntsmen as the right Noble Earl of Shaftsbury and our late Secret Committee to manage the Chase for us our Hounds must needs have been baffled and the Game lost In my whole life-time of all the Histories I have ever read or heard of I do not remember to have met with any action more bold or gallant than was that of Dr. Oates's Discovery for one single man as he did to flie in the face of so prevailing a Party as they were without any second to back him to persist and justifie his Evidence after the many discountenances were at first shew'd him to accuse persons of that high quality power and revenge when Everard had before been denied the benefit of the Sun and kept close prisoner in a Dungeon four years together only for coming over to discover that the Papists beyond Sea had a design to bring in Popery here When Justice Godfrey had been murder'd only for acquainting the Council with what he told him and yet for him to adhere to his Information certainly nothing could be more bold or brave How many and how great discouragements hath this Discovery met with First When the Lord of Danby was so long acquianted with it and conceal'd it time enough for the Plotters to convey away both their Persons and Papers Secondly The Visit of her R. H. to see the Princess in Flanders at the first breaking out of the Plot in which Voyage many Priests Jesuits and Plotters made their escape Thirdly The conveying away all Coleman's Letters which treated of these two last years Fourthly The getting France to recede three several times backward and forward from his own Evidence Fifthly The suffering Priests to have access to tamper with the condemn'd Plotters in Newgate to make them deny all and with a Lye in their mouths die as innocent as the Child unborn Sixthly These frequent Dissolutions and Prorogations of Parliaments to prevent the Tryal of the Lords Seventhly Suffering Sir Philip Floyd Clerk of the Council at the Tryal of Wakeman to come and testifie against the King in behalf of the Prisoner what he heard at the Council-Table a place where all things that are done ought to be kept secret and so had this had it not been in favour of Wakeman Eightly The freeing Wakeman and questioning the