NEver was so great a piece of Villany hatch'd or contriv'd by Human Invention; and, as far as they dare, back'd and fomented by those Eternal Beautefeus of the Nation, the Observator and Heraclitus, as the late Endeavour to transpose the Murther of Sir Edmund Bury-Godfrey. As if all the Imagination of Man were to be summon'd to make out If's and And's, How can this, and, How can that be's? to disprove a Matter of Fact, a Murder done in haste and hurry. How far that bold Impostor Thompson, hath put it, appear'd by the Effect; for that His Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Councel thought it seasonable, in Honour and Justice, to take notice of it. Thompson, a Vermine, (for a Snake is no other) that his Native-Country has fostered in her Bosom, to her Ruin, as much as in him lies. But what hath he done? He hath, with an impudent Letter, stuff'd with Artificial and Fallacious Queries, amused the World at first; and, as if that had not been enough, he hath in his late Damnable Intelligence, of April 1st. 1682. added a most Impudent, Audacious, and Jesuitical Advertisement to this purpose; viz. That on Wednesday last, he had appeared before the Lords of His Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Councel, about the Letters to Mr. Miles Prance, concern­ing [Page 2]the Death of Sir Edmund Bury-Godfrey; where he justified, and produced the Authors, who are ready to prove, (by undenyable and substantial Witnesses, not in the least accused or suspected of Popery, as the malicious Party do suggest) that every Tittle and Iota of those Letters are true. And then proceeds to De­sire all Lovers of Truth to suspend their Judgments, and lay by their private, and first-taken Opinions, till they hear it openly, publickly, and demonstratively proved. And still more impudently goes on to tell us; That, in Order to which, he (the said Nathaniel Thompson) and the Gentlemen his Friends, are to attend the next Wednesday at Council, where they do not doubt but that Honou­rable Board will put them into a method, to prove the whole, or any particular, which their Honours in their Great Wisdom, shall think convenient to be brought to the Test or Examination. These are his own words.

Accordingly he (the said Thompson) and his two Friends, Mr. Farwell and Mr. Paine, appeared at the Council Board on Wednesday April the 5th. 1682. where Mr. Michael and Mr. Benjamin Godfrey also appeared, having Petiti­oned the Council to Examine the Truth of his said Letters, and other matters, relating to the Death of Sir Edmund their Brother: And after that Honoura­ble Board had Examined Thompson, and his Crew, they were pleased to commit them to Newgate, in Order to their receiving a speedy Tryal for this horrid Villany.

Now whereas Thompson tells us, His Authors are undeniable and substantial Witnesses, not in the least accused or suspected of Popery; let the World take notice, that Mr. Farwell, one of his Gang, is so far from not being suspected of Popery, that he was bred up under Langhorn, who was Condemned by the Publick Justice of the Nation, for that Plot, which the Murder of Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey gave us the greatest Light into: and for Paine, he is the Brother to Paine, alias Nevil, who was Intitled, to all the Popish interest of Mrs. Cellier: And these are Thompsons two Witnesses or Authors, not to be suspected of Popery; but notwithstanding what hath been said, we yet believe they may be as good Protestants as Thompson himself.

In the Second place, whereas he saith, That they doubt not but that Ho­nourable Board will put them into a method to prove the whole, or any particu­lar, which they shall think convenient to be brought to the Test or Examination.

Observe here, how greatly this Rascal reflects upon that Honourable Board, as if they sat there to make Models for Witnesses, to give Testimony in ill things: but they having taken the business into due Examination, thought it just and requisite to send them to Newgate for their Impudence; where they may contrive Methods or Models, with the Assistance of the Condemned Priests, and their Sister Cellier, to bring the business to the Test and Exami­nation at the Old-Baily.