have been some probability in it as being practicable and of the like whereof the Records of former Times have furnished us with Instances and Examples But for a poor Creature â—o be thought capable of enrolling Troops and commencing War against a Prince encompassed with a large disciplin'd Army and that in the Honey-Month of his Government when the Nation generally was fond of him may be reckoned among the last of Incredibles and seems obtruded upon the Faith of the Kingdom meerly to expose our Credulity And I have often observed that your Suboâ—ned Fellows do either out of too much Haughtiness or too little Sense make the same sport at the Majesty of Courts of Judicature and at the Understandings of the â—ell of Mankind that they do with the Lives of those they are hired to murder In a word all that with the least shadow of Truth can be conceived of what the Man was accused of is that he had been charitable to those he apprehended in greater Distresâ— than himself which administred occasion to the ungrateful Wretches that received it to gain a Reward from those at the Helm of Affairs through their stiling and swearing it Levy and Subsistence Money And as for cross the Kentish Aâ—torney who was Tried and Coâ—demned for going aboard the French Fleet when they lay upon the Coast it is known that he was as passionate and violent a Williamite as was in the Kingdom and that he went thither meerly out of Curiosity conceiving it no Crime nor apprehending any danger by it and not upon a disloyal and treacherous account For what better Testimony could be given of the poor Man's Zeal and Affection for the Government than praying with that Heartiness that he did for the Preservation and prosperous Reign of William and Mary at the time and place of his Execution when and where none without being highly uncharitable can imagine that he would dissemble And were the Jacobites capable of taking thaâ— Pleasure in the Ruin of innocent Men which your scandalous Wâ—igs and too many of your bigotted Phanaticks seem to do his Execution was a thing wherein they would have thought themselveâ— extreamly gratified And they will at all times reckon your Severities of that kind if not Favours they take Pleasure in at least Actions which will neither provoke their Resentment nor Indignation Nor is it unworthy of your Observaâ—ion that the unhappy Man was halloo'd and persued to Death by Persons who valu'd themselves heretofore for being in a Faction of which few are Loyal to Monarchs out of Principle but solely for Interest and of whom there are tâ—o many who out of Devotion to their Idol of a Republick will be ready to sacrifice and give up to Scaffolds and Gibbets all that are addicted to Kingship whosoever be the King As for Mr. Ashton's Caâ—e the Severity he met with hath been already represented in Print without any Reply hitherto given in Vindication of the Justice of the Nation to what is there declared and laid open And it is sufficiently known by all of any Conversation at White-Hall and about the Town that he was not so much condemned for what was produced against him at the Bar as for what was concealed being unfiâ—â—o be discovered For the Papers concerning the Legitimacy of the Prince of Wales which he was carrying over to King James first for his Pâ—rusal and then for his Approbation in order to have presented them to the Parliament was that which influenced more to his Destruction than all besides whereof he was accuâ—ed which in the Opinion of very wise and impartial Men were but trifling and insignificant Things and which as they did not deserve so hard a Fate so they would never have prevailed upon an unprejudic'd Jury to have found him guilty without a very strange and laboured Misleading And pardon me my Lord if I bewail the Suppression of the forementioned Papers and take the liberty to tell you that the refusing the Nation the favour of seeing them renders it very much suspected That the last Invasion was not in all things alledged as the Motives to it founded in that Justice and Honour which we were made to believe But to wave that I shall only presume to subjoin that though the Providences and Judgments of God are inscrutable yet it ought not to be let pass without Observation That the only Judge at that time on the Bench who treated him with uncivil as well as uncomely Malice and who by his whole Behaviour seemed to have an unquenchable Thirst after his Blood died soon after wallowing in his own Nor is it to be imagined what recommended that Person to the Bench after his having promoted and hastened the Execution of so many in the West Anno 1685 unless it was that having given so signal a Testimony of his inhuman and implacable Cruelty to those of the same Party and Interest of which he pretended to be he was thereupon taken and held for a Person that would be no less barbâ—rous to all such of another Faction as should have the Misfortune to fall within the Circle of his Power and Rage For it is most certain that though Jefferies underwent the Clamour and bore the blame of those Executions yet most of the Guilt lay upon Pollexâ—en of whom I have been speaking And for Anderton who is the last that since the Revolution hath been Executed for High-Treason of this kind there needeth no more to shew both the Perjury of the Witnesses that swore against him and the Severity and hastiness of his Conviction and Condâ—mnation than that a Person arraigned and condemned since at the same place hath openly confessed and avowed that he Printed and Published the Book for which poor Anderton was Cast and Executed Nor is it for the Credit of those that saâ—e as Judges or were upon the Jury that so infamous a Fellow as Stephens was the principal Witness at the Trial and the Person upon whose Testimony especially the arraigned was cast For besides his being universally known for a Rascal that will be purchased to perpeâ—rate any Villainy provided he may find Impunity in doing it his whole Behaviour at that time when he gave his Evidence was so eâ—cessively Rude and â—ancorous towards the Prisoner as might give any indifferent Mâ—n a just câ—use to believe that he was provoked by Malice or swayed by Command and encouraged by Reward to what he did My Lord I do not design by this brief Recollection of these Trials to detract from your Prudence and Moderation and much less â—o charge you with Injustice as to the Portion and Share you had in them but the whole I propose is humbly to represent that there seems to have been a Blâ—mâ—ableness somewhere and particularly that as Juries are generally too credulous in such Cases and many times prepossessed and prejudiced upon the Motive of Party and Faction so the Witnesses are oftentimes too Mercenary and Revengeful to be easily believed And
Pattern of Moderation and Good-nature which the very honourable Person in the same Post with himself doth daily set and yield unto him and not to out-run and exceed it with so much fiery and undiscreet Heat For as that truly Great Man contributed more to the Revolution and the Establishment of this Government than he had either Inâ—erest or Courage to do so that Noble Peer wants not Integrity Zâ—al and Fortitude to support it by all honourable righteous and proper Means though he cannot meanly and indecently stoop to the unrighteous Methods or doings which God will certainly blast which others seem so fond of and to practise wiâ—h so much Valuation of themselves upon them My Lord that which remaineth to be laid before you e're I put an end to the Trouble that I have assumed the liberty to give you is to affâ—rd some little account of those Witnesses whose Names I have been able to attain afâ—er the best and most diligent enquiry I can make But this may seem altogether superfluous after the Representation given of those that have procured and continue to manage them seeing none but the most despicable and most infamous of Men as well as the most indigent and necessitous can put themselves under the Power and Conduct of the Blades I have taken the pains to unmask Noâ— indeed is it easy to learn who all the Witnesses are there being so much Art and Industry used to hide and conceal them which I am sure casts no very honourable Aspect upon the Government though it looks extream unfavourably upon those that are accused For the making it so great a Secret who they are that inform intimateth that they are sensible they are of no good Reputation and therefore dare not venture the having their Credibility â—iâ—ted and inquired into Nor was it ever found but that labour'd Concealments of this kind argued the weakness of Legal Proof not the strength of the Nature of the Government against those that were to be prosecuted Some talk as if many of them were Scotchmen and as if those of that Nation in the Administration of Affairs about this Court were desirous that their Kingdom should have a share in the Glory of yielding a Pack of standing Evidence for the State as well as England and Ireland have done And if the Character of Cunning which is too justly as well as commonly given to the Scotch holds true in those that are to be hired at this time to be Witnesses for the Government it looks aâ— if there were a formed Design of doing a great deal of Mischief and that they have chosen their Tools accordingly But then if we add to this the Character of False which the English too commonly fasten upon many of that Kingdom there is the less danger because it is hoped none will believe them And therefore as to all the present Evidences of the Scotch Nation I will leave it upon that issue For not knowing who they are but upon uncertainty and at random I will detract from the Honesty and Faith of none though it were easy to overthrow the Credibility of all that are suspected But let this or that Man's Reputation be never so bad yet I will not expose them unless there be a very great necessity for it and then there is when the leaving them in the possession of a Credit which they have justly forfeited gives them the encouragement as well as opportunity of murdering innocent People by coming in falsly as Evidence against them But that your Lordship may have some knowledge of the whole Herd of Briars by giving you a view and survey of some that are stiled the best of them I shall both attempt and speedily dispatch it without importuning your Patience much longer And to begin with your Dandys your Omballs and your Lunts c. which swore first against the Lancashire Gentlemen to deprive them of their Estates and have done the like since to destroy their Lives it is but your being acquainted with their Quality and Course of Living and you will not only think it a Weakness but criminal to believe their Testimonies For Dandâ— he is a Converted Priest or if you consider the Motives upon which he abandoned the Popish Religion to embrace the Protestant which were to have â—â—ope for his Lusts of all kind as the whole Series of his Life ever since hath abundantly testified you will rather call him an Apostate one And it would have been for the Credit of our Church for my Lord I am a Protestant and will never sacrifice my Religion and Countrey to any Man if he had never entred into the Communion of iâ— and more for the Inâ—amy of Theirs if with allowance he had continued where he was For since he became a Member of the Church of England he hath wallowed in all the most scandalous Immoralities and to defray the Expence of his Debaucheries hath pilâ—ered and stole where he could till he fell upon the more safe and easy as well as more gainful Trade of Informing And I can better compare him to no Man than to the ancient Evidence Smith alias Barry who having by Perjury fleshed himself upon the Papists turned at last a perjur'd and false Witness against Protestants which undoubtedly this Fellow will be ready to do when he finds his Profit and Interest in it against all Williamitâ—s Whiggs and Phanaticks who now cocker and cherish him as he doth at present against the Jacobites of all Religions that he is hounded at and â—ed with Bread for As to Omball he is a broken Carrier who by Sloth Riot and Neglect having brought himself to Poverty hath set up to repair his Fortune out of Gentlemen's Estates by forged and forsworn Depositions against them And as for Lunt he was first Coach-man to my Lord Carington where he either Married or Contracted himself and then becoming a Granadier in the Guards he married another Woman or 〈◊〉 her as his Whoâ—e but 〈…〉 the Life of this Second he went and demanded his First Wife And this profligate Wretch going afterwards into Ireland while K. James was there he would have imposed upon that Prince that he had been a Trooper in the Guards but a Gentleman that knew him informing the King what he had been he was thereupon refused the being admitted into the Troop which K. James was then re-establishing And most surely he who has the Impudence and dare be so criminal as to lye to his Prince will never scruple doing the like to your Lordship and to a Court of Justice At last the Rake-Hell came from Ireland into Lancashire where being so necessitous as to be ready to starve he received Relief from several charitable Families whom he so ungratefully requires as perjuriously to swear them out of their Lives and Estates Pray now my Lord do but vouchsafe to reflect upon the Civil and Moral Conditions of these Fellows and judge whether it be possible and much less likely that
they should be made acquainted with the Disposal and Conveyances of Gentlemens Estates and least of all that they should be admitted upon so important and dangerous a Secret as Men of Quality's Plotting and Conspiring against the Government which if any Gentlâ—man shall be so weak and foolish as to allow I will say that instead of being put into the Tower and Chester-Castle c. they should be confined unto and shut up in Bedlam and be treated as Mad-men not as Traytors But the many Persons of Esteâ—m Vertue and unsuspected Reputation who are ready to prove the Wretches perjured in reference to their Depositions about the Gentlemens Bequeathments of their Estates will thereby if they would say no more meerly through having made them appear forsworn in that Case overthrow their Credit and render them infamous in every Thing else which they have the Impudence to depose And suffer me upon this Occasion to tell you how barbarous and unpresidented save during the Reign and Rapine of Sir William Waller as well as illegâ—l and inâ—olent the manner of apprehending Gentlemen and of searching their Houses haâ—h been in Lancashire For not to insist upon the going about and performing it guarded and assisted with Dutch Horse whom we have no need to keep and maintain in the Kingdom being furnished with so large an Army oâ— British Subjects and of whom according to the P. of Orange's Declaration dated at the Hague in the Year 88 we should have been rid and delivered long ago But it is the Policy of this Government to observe and perform no part of that Declaration in order to prevent and hinder our believing the Declaration of any other Prince after it and thereby make the Restoration of King James impracticable there being no other way at least in their Opinions to render it feasible but the recovering and reconciling the Subjects again to their Subjection and Duties by the Concessions and Promises which he makes in a Declaration Nor is it improbable but that our Ministers having read or at least heard for all of them are not much conversant with Books how one of the Monarchs of France coming from a Dukedom to a Sovereignty said that being King he was not to revenge the Injuries he received as Duke they may thereupon imagine that King William is not obliged to perform the Prince of Orange's most Solâ—mn Promises But that which I call barbarous as well as illegal is that in many places whither they went they plundered and violently took away whatsoever they were able to lay their Hands upon For not being contented to apprehend Persons and seize Arms of War they carried away Walking-Swords Hunting Saddles Sâ—affle-Bits Servants Cloaths and Oats out of the Barns and Granaries and which is more prejudicial to the Gentlemen than all the rest under pretence of searching for Papers they robbed them of and carried away with them the Writings of their Estates which if the Gentlemen do not receive Relief in and others be covered from the like in time to come it is easy to imagine that besides the Dishonour redounding to the Government it will come to produce worse effects and be followed with those fatal Consequences which I need not to foretel For a Rumour diffused thro' the Kingdom for the entertainment whereof it is pretty well disposed that the Dutch are every where robbing and plundering may occasion as general a flying to Arms and with more Mischief attending it as the false and groundless Repor◠〈◊〉 in 88. when it was spread through the whole Nation in one Nighf how a few broken scattered and disarmed Irish were burning Houses and cutting Throats in all places And suffer me to tell you that for the Ministers to pretend to disallow these Things but not to punish them is both to encourâ—ge the Souldiers again to do â—he like and to tempt others to think that it is very well approved of though it be not yet convenient to commend and justify it However it gives occasion for the old Tories to say that all the Complaints of the Whigs of the rigorous Oppressions of the former Reigns was only because they had not the priviledge to practise them and that it is not the doing ill things that diâ—pleaseth them but that they have not the applying of the Royal Authority to do all the Mischiefs they would And it gives a very odd Idâ—â— of a certain Gentleman at Court that when Hopkins the Messenger was complained of t'other day for having kept Sir Thomas Stanley whom he had in Custody without Meat eight and forty Hours all the Punishment the murderous and bloudy Villian received was only a gentle Reprimand But as this doth not satisfy the Kingdom much less will it give Contentment to a Parliament before whom it will be brought In company of many other Oppressions and Grievances the next Sessions when possibly our national Dishonours and Losses both at Home and abroad may dispose them to hearken better than they have done to private and personal Complaints And I may assure you that â—f either the Messenger be not turned out or Mr. Secretary Trenchard for continuing him in which in the modestest Language is a conniving at his Crime all men will believe that whosoever is taken up and lodged in a Messenger's hands is in a fair way to be destroyed without the Formality of a Trial or the Priviledge of being judicially convicted and condemned My Lord there remains one Witness more whose Name I have learned and who is said to be of the best Reputation of any they have and that it iâ— upon his Testimony they depend more than upon any other for the Proof of this horrid PLOT and therfore knowing his Character so well as I do I shall convey him to you in his natural Colours that by his Hue you may judge of the Complexion of all the rest The â—â—llow is one Kingston who stiles himself a Parson of the Church of England who being emulous of the Glory of the Dignified Clergy who are labouring to prevent the Restoration of King James and to support this Government by all their Wisdom and Eloquence and whatsoever other Means they can save the opening their purâ—esâ— to the measure they have stretched those of the Jacobites is desirous also to contribute his utmost Endeavours towards it and being uncapable of doing it otherwise offers to perjure himself in favour of so blessed Ends. It is somewhat surprising and detracteth very much from the Character of the Ecclesiastical Order and has lessened that Esteem and Veneration the World used to have for them that there can scarce be the Discovery of a PLOT or a Trial for High-Treason but a Parson must be the Informer and put in for a Place among the Witnesses for though it may be sometimes honourable as well as necessary to be in a PLOT otherwise so many of our Religious Clergy would not have so early and deeply concurred unto and been concerned in the