BEfore we come to relate the man­ner of this Imposture, it will not be amiss to take notice of the State of affairs at the time when it was set on foot, which we find to have been thus. The late K. thought himself established on the Throne by his success against the Duke of Mon­mouth and the Earl of Argile, and ha­ving a standing Army on Foot; and be­ing [Page 2] in good Terms with the Pope and the French King, the Juncture seemed as proper as heart could wish to fall upon Methods for securing the Roman Ca­tholicks against all future Enquiries into former Misdemeanors, and to Introduce their Religion to be that of the Nati­on. They knew the King to be gro­wing old and infirm, and Experience had taught them by Queen Elizabeth's Reign, that a Protestant Successor could easi­ly destroy the Romish Babel, which a Popish Predecessor had Rebuilt, and therefore the only way to prevent such an after­clap was to entail the Crown on a Po­pish Heir; these were the true Causes that gave Birth to this horrid Imposture, which being once resolved on was mana­ged thus.

The Earl of Castlomain was sent on a splendid Embassy to Rome, where tho' some might put Satyrical Taunts upon him by placing horns on the Gates at his publick Entrance, yet he brought matters to a good understanding betwixt the King and the Pope, in Testi­mony whereof Count D' Ada was sent bither as Nuncio, during whose stay at [Page 3] Whitehall the matter was concerted, and as necessary praludiums to such a Reli­gious Cheat, the Queens Mother must make presents to the Lady of Lorretto, the King undertook a pilgrimage to St. Winefred's Well; and the Queen to further her Conception makes a Journey to the Bath.

Such infallible means were enough to possess the Papists with an Invincible Faith, that they must needs attain their end, and therefore they gave it out with mighty assurance that the Queen would certain­ly have a Boy, and Mrs. Celier in par­ticular, who was very well known to be an Incomparable Widwife, for ushering Popish shams into the world, in her printed Answer to the Queries of a certain Phy­sician, Ʋpbraided him and some others for Laughing at her because she said her Ma­jesty was full of Children; but it now pro­ved so true that she hop'd we should have a Prince of Wales.

Then just about the time of this pre­tended Conception, Father Peters was made a Privy Councellor, to prevent its being contested by any of the Mem­bers of that Honourable board; and to [Page 4] stir them up to make Orders concerning the Queen and the Child, that so it might be spread thro' the Nation on the Cre­dit of the Privy Council. And the K. himself being Conscious of his own and the Queens Imperfections, yet being wil­ling to carry on the Imposture, was pleased to say that her pregnancy was a very odd thing, Insinuating as if Heaven had wrought a Miracle in favour of his Religion.

And to River the belief of her preg­nancy in the minds of the people, he takes a Journey to Chattam, and in the mean time a feigned report of the Duke of Modena's death was ounningly conveyed to his Sister the Queen, who pretended a danger of Miscarriage by the fright, and on this occasion the King was sent for back in all haste.

Then about 22 Weeks after the sup­posed Conception, it's given out that her Majesty had Milk in her Breasts, but tho several Protestants desired it, they could never be permitted to View them, nay nor the Princess of Denmark, who was at that time going to the Bath; and whose Testimony of its truth if the mat­ter [Page 5] had been really so, would have sa­tisfied all those who entertained any doubt concerning it; certainly had the thing been real it was so much the In­terest of the Court to have had the Princesses attestation of that affair, that they would without all doubt have solicited her to see and Witness it; especially see­ing they knew that a fallacy was sus­pected.

The same circumstances of an Imposture are to be offered concerning her belly, which was never shown to, nor suffered to be felt by any Protestant Lady, and it was particularly observed by those who did make it their business that the Circumference thereof was not large e­nough for a Child so lusty; nor was it natural like other Womens, she did nei­ther bend in the back, nor had she the Ex­tension and Protention of the Hips that is usual in Women with Child, and that was particularly taken Notice of on this occasion in another Lady standing by her.

Another Evidence of the Imposture was, the Parties immediately imployed about her, such as Mrs. Wilks, Delabadie Turini, &c. [Page 6] a busie rigid bigotted Villanous people, who had cunning enough to manage such a Wickedness, and a Conscience well e­nough prepared to digest it.

In was observed in the next place that no other Nurse was provided to be a­bout her but this Mrs. Delabadie, where­as every Person of Quality, nay, most rich Citizens Wives, use to be better prepared; neither was there any Wet Nurse, nor men Midwives bespoke, tho she used to be well provided in all those re­spects at her other Deliveries.

Nay, her Doctors of Physick were not so much as ordered to attend against the 2d. Reclioning, and tho their Majesties Re­spective Drs. have Chambers appointed about their Lodgings, at all their Courts and at all times, whether there be oc­casion or none, and do attend at such Chambers, yet her Doctors attended not, tho' the occasion was so great, so that of four or five, there was but one so near as to be there till after the pretended de­delivery, the reason of which is plain, lest they should have been so deligent as to follow the Court, and by being too near about her discover the Cheat.

Another mighty evidence of the Im­posture was this, that the Queen for pre­venting all octjcteions ought to have gi­ven notice of the House and Room where she intended to lie in, that the Princesses, or any for them, might have searcht such Room to see whether there was no false door, traps or other Con­veniences for Juggling; or if there were to nail 'em up, and to have suffered no more but one door, and to have likewise Guards kept at that door for some days before the delivery, accord­ing to the direction of the Civil Law in such Cases: and which if the pregnancy had been real the King and Queen would certainly have not only agreed to but solicited that it might have been done, when they knew that a Cheat was sus­pected; but instead of this, it was some­times given out that she intended to lie in at Windsor, at other times at Richmond, sometimes at St. James's, and anon at Wind­sor again.

The Law before mentioned doth al­so provide that the present Heir shall not only have Liberty to search such Wo­mens belly before hand (which was al­ways [Page 8] denied in this Case) but likewise tho they be satisfied of the pregnancy to make use of after Circumspection lest a dead Child should be changed for a living one, or a Girl changed for a Boy. And for the better prevention of an Imposture, this Law doth moreover direct that the Heir, or those deputed by them might keep the pregnant Woman from going out of their sight so many days before the pretended delivery; and unless such directions be followed, it presumes that an Heir is not truly born, how much more then in this Case when they were wilfully omitted and refused?

For instead of due notice beforehand as Law and reason does require, the Bed was set up at St. James's but one day before the pretended delivery, and the Queen was not at the place above 12 hours before the time, having neither Linen Nurse nor Midwife about her; and that also in the night time when peo­ple were asleep and could not know of her going thither, so that there was no time allowed to make due Observation of passages as the above mentioned Law re­quires in such cases.

We shall next Consider the place, to which one would think she should have had the greatest A version imaginable, be­cause all her other Children born there died; but however Inconvenient it might be upon that account it was the most Convenient place in the World for an Imposture, by reason of the situation of the adjoining Convent, and at the same time the Park Gates were kept Lockt for their farther security.

It must also be observed that the Queen gave out she would come in July and accordingly most of the Irish Nobility prepared to be here against that time but the Countess of Tyrconnel was here in June at the delivery, because she was one of the principal Persons concerned in the Intrigue; and therefore had bet­ter Intelligence of the time than the rest.

Another thing which diverted the thoughts of those who were observant and watchfull enough to enquire into all the proceedings of this affair, was the unexpected Imprisonment of the Bishops, which put all people into an amazement and consternation; and prevented the attendance of those Prelates at the pre­tended [Page 10] Delivery: Whose concern for the Protestant Religion, and that Justice should be done the Princesses of Orange and Den­mark, would have put them upon de­manding such satisfaction in the matter as should not have been consistent with an Imposture, which could not have been reasonably denied to Persons of their Character, and seeing their Testimony would have fully satisfied the Nation, their being shut up in the Tower at that time gives strong ground of suspicion, that their presence at the pretended De­livery could by no means have been admitted, because then the Intrigue had been discovered, and their being Prisoners in the Tower was the best pretence which could be made use of why they should not be present.

But there is yet a much stronger ground of suspicion than any of those hitherto mentioned, viz. That tho we had an Ambassador residing in Holland, yet the Princess of Orange was not invited till almost the 10th of June, tho' her Royal Highness was the Party who by the Law abovementioned should have had notice of the Queens bigness; when she intended [Page 11] to lie in and where, and whom it was their Interest to have present, for avoi­ding of all Objections, and the Incon­veniencies which might otherwise ac­crue; but so it was, that she had no Invitation till it was impossible for her to be here at the time of the Delivery; whereas the Dutchess of Portsmouth was sent for in April and came in May. Nor is there any reason to be given why the Princess of Denmark should not have been urg'd to be present if the pregnancy had been real, seeing her presence might have been had much more easily, and would have every whitt been as satis­factory to the people as that of the Princess of Orange; but so far were they from such a Just and fair procedure, that it was so managed as the two Ladies who ought to have been at the labour, for the Princess of Denmark did not come till the Child was dress't.

Then as to those Protestant Ladies who were present in the room at the time of the pretended Birth, it was so ordered by the Kings Introducing men, that there was a necessity of covering the Queen, so that the said Ladies could not be [Page 12] Witnesses to every thing that they ought to have seen, which gave, the Midwife an opportunity of managing the Cheat as she pleased; and thus instead of being able to depose that they saw the Child taken out of the Queens body, they could only say that they saw it taken out of the Bed, and that such things may be consistent with a Cheat is evi­dent from the Instance in Siderfin's Re­ports Temp. Car. II; where we have an account of a Woman who pretended to be delivered in bed by a Midwife, but the Imposture was discovered afterward by the said Midwife, and the true Mo­ther.

Then quickly after the pretended Birth, the Child is sent to Richmond, separate from the Queen, that she might be eas'd of the trouble of a forced fondness, which being continually to have been acted must needs at last have grown so Nau­seous that it would have been Ob­served, whereas if the Child had been really her own her fondness would cer­tainly never have admitted of such a separation, considering that he was her only Child, and one upon whose [Page 13] life the restitution of the Popish Religi­on did so much depend.

The next thing that occurs is the time and manner of taking the depositions to prove the reality of this pretended Prince's Birth. The time was after they had been charged with the Imposture all over Europe, and when the Prince of Orange was just ready to make his descent, whereas if the thing had been fair they had it in their Choice to have avoided that trouble by having impartial Eye Witnesses present viz. such as either or both of the Princesses or their deputies, whose Testimony would have satisfied the World.

Then as to the manner whereas Law and Reason require that when any thing is controverted the Opponent ought also to have Liberty to bring Witnesses, and to put Cross Interrogatories to the Defen­dants Evidence, here was no such thing practicable, most of the Witnesses were of the party tho of different Religions, many of them had their dependance on [Page 14] the Court and none of them durst swear any thing contrary to their humour with­out a manifest hazard of Life and E­state, especially when the K. was present to overawe them.

Then as to the Depositions themselves they are all of 'em such as may be con­sistent with a sham except that of the Midwife, who being a bigotted Papist and a tool fitted to the purpose, her depositi­ons will neither hold good in Law nor Equity. But to come to particulars.

Q. D. was the first who gave her at­testation but had no Oath administred to her, and all that she said was, that she was sent for to the Queens labour and stirred not from her till she was de­livered of the Prince of Wales, but does not say that she was there all the time of the Labour, nor that she saw the said Prince really born of the Queens body.

Sir C—S—hs Affidavit relates to the Queens Conception, and he tells us of two Reckonings one from the 6th. [Page 15] of September and the other from the 6th. of October following, which was plainly a design to correspond with other Wo­mens reckonings, whose Children she in­tended to make use of, that if one miss'd the other might hit, and accordingly it happened as appears by Mr. Fuller's Re­lation, for one of them was brought to bed at St. Albans in her way from Ire­land and the other was delivered at St. James's, at the very time when the Queen pretended to be in Labour.

M. T—ni an Italian who carried on the Cheat of the Big-belly, swears that on the 10th. of June in the Morning, the Queen being in Pain bid her send for the Midwife, Ladies, and Servants, after which she staid with the Queen till she was delivered of the Prince of Wales: This deponent does not say neither that she saw the Prince come from the Queens body, and gives strong presumptions of a Cheat; it being very strange that with­in an hour of the pretended Labour the Queen should have the Midwife, Ladies, and Servants all absent, so that it's plain [Page 16] they were sent from about her on pur­pose, that there might not be too many Witnesses of the Imposture, and then when all things were prepared, they were sent for.

Madam D—n. Being one of those sent for from St. James's Chapel, swears that when she came she found the Queen all alone, who bid her get ready the Pallet Bed which stood in the next room, but it ha­ving never been Aired, she disswaded the Queen from making use of it; she deposes farther that she saw fire carried into the Queens room in a Warming pan to Warm the bed, and that Mrs. Wilks Warm'd it. Its plain from this deposition that the Queen was left alone which is wholly incredible had her La­bour been real, and therefore must have been contrived on purpose for the secre­cy of the Cheat. The story of the Warm­ing-pan which was also covered, con­firms the truth of the Assertion that the Child was brought in the same from the true Mother: Nor is it supposeable, if the Queen had been in such hard Labour [Page 17] as they give out (and as is evident the true Mother had certainly been, seeing the Child was stunn'd) that she could have been in a Condition to rise and have her bed Warm'd; and then from Mrs. Wilks Warm­ing the Bed it appears plain enough that the taking the Child out of the pan and putting it into the Bed was her province, which might easily be done, the Curtains being drawn and none about the Bed but the Conspirators. Then as to the Pallet bed. which had been most proper for the Queen if the pregnancy had been real, here's a Cunningly contrived excuse why it should not be made use of. And as to the fire in the Warming-pan there's none of the other Deponents who swears that they saw it, which its probable they would have done had it been to be seen, but as we noted before, the pan was covered so that she could not well see it.

S—d Another of the Deponents says that the Queen after some Lingring Pains said she feared she should not be brought to bed a great while, and the Midwife answered that she only wanted one [Page 18] thorough Pain to bring the Child into the world.—to which the Queen answered, 'twas impossible the Child lies so high, and commanded the Deponent to lay her hand on her Belly.—She adds that a great Pain came at past nine of the Clock and the Queen was delivered, which she knew because Mrs. Wilks pluckt her by the Coat which was the Sign a­greed on that the Queen was delivered and of a Boy. This Dialogue be­twixt the Queen and the Midwife might be contrived on purpose to cover the Imposture, and the Deponent does not say whether she laid her hand upon the Queens naked belly, so that we are to sup­pose she laid her hand upon it no o­therwise than thro' the Bedcloaths, or if she did she gives us no account what posture she found it in, and whereas she says that a great Pain came at past nine a Clock and the Queen was delivered; it must be observed that after Eight of the Clock the Queen was so well that the King and all her Servants left her alone, so that after her beginning to feel pain and calling the people &c. It was not [Page 19] above three Quarters of an hour ere she was brought to bed and yet she Skreems and they talk of Pains as one that had long and hard labour, tho nothing is so inconsistent with her being delivered abed covered, none assisting or helping, tho' many standing by as in the most easie Labours, and the Child stunn'd as in the hardest. Then by the Midwife's plucking the Deponent by the Coat which was a Sign of the Queens being deli­vered of a Boy, it is apparent that the Deponent no nor other saw the Child born, but only taken out of the Bed where it was laid, Neither can any Midwife see of what Sex the Child is before the Burthen is drawn out, without detri­ment to the Woman brought to bed, which it's not supposeable the Queen would hazard to satisfie the Midwife's Curiosity and therefore this Item must be by a fore­knowledge. The C. of R—deposes no more than that she saw the Prince of Wales when he was taken out of the bed which is consistent enough with a Cheat as hath been said already.

The Depositions of the C. of T—, Hen. Lady W—. and Mrs. A. C—y are much the same.

The C. of L—d Deposes that she was not at the Labour, but was almost con­stantly with the Queen while she was with child, hath put on her Smock; seen the Milk run out of her Breast and felt her Belly, so that she is sure she could not be de­ceived. It is to be observed that this Lady does not swear she saw the Milk run out of the Queens Nipple, and its easie enough by applying a Spunge with milk to the Queens Breast to make milk drop thro her Shift in that part: or if she did real­ly see milk drop from the Breast. its known that there are Women who have milk in their Breasts that have not been pregnant for many years. Then as to the feeling of her Belly, she does not say when, or whether it was since the Jealousie of the Cheat became publick, and it appears by her being in Child-bed her self at the very time when the Queen pretended to be so, that she could not for a conside­rable [Page 21] time before put on the Queen's Smock as she lay in Bed, without great inconveniency to her self: and the Queen might easily Counterfeit such a Bigness as was necessary to deceive the Deponent, considering the time she pretended to be gone with Child. Madam B—y's Depo­sition being of the same nature needs no other answer. Dame J—a W—e depo­ses that she put the after burden in a Bason of Water, which being done be­fore the Drs. view'd it, gives just cause of suspicion that it was in order to prevent a discovery of its not having the natural warmth it should have had, if the Drs. had been minded to examine it.

Mrs. D—dy Swears that Mrs. W. the Midwife told her that immediately on the next pain the Queen would be de­livered which accordingly she was, but says nothing of her having seen her de­livered.

The Mar. of P—s Swears in the same manner as to the milk, and that she saw the Child taken out of the Bed; which [Page 22] as has been said already is consistent enough with a Cheat.

The Lady B—deposes that when she came, she found Mrs. Wilks sitting by the Bed-side with her hands in the Bed, which is the principal Evidence of a great many, and was certainly done to keep the Child from smoothering. She depo­ses also as to the Midwives saying that the next great pain the Child would be born, whereupon the King called the Privy Counsellors in, and immediately the Queen shreeks, and the Prince was born: so that here's still nothing but what may be consistent with a Cheat, for neither she nor any of the Privy Counsellors saw him born, nor had they the liberty of look­ing in that place where the Child lay hid. Nor were there any of the Drs. that came time enough to be at the Labour.

It is also to be observed that there's a Contradiction betwixt the Evidence of Mrs. W—s, and that of this Deponent Mrs. W. would intimate that assoon as she cut the Navel string the Child cried: [Page 23] The Navel string was cut in bed, and therefore it must by this reason cry in bed. But this Deponent B. says that she opened the Receiver (so that the Child was out of Bed) and not hearing the Child cry and seeing it lie black, she was afraid it was in a Convulsion fit.

Mrs. C—e deposes that she saw all that was to be seen after the Birth of a Child, that is an After-burthen and bloody Clouts, which were no doubt all of 'em conveyed into the Bed as the Child was, for she does not Swear that she saw the After-burthen taken from the Queen's Body.

The Earl of M—on, Says he found the Lord Craven waiting at the Queen's Bedchamber-door which was then shut; and that just after the King opened it, and called the Deponent and the Lord Craven in. The Deponent askt his Ma­jesty how the Queen was, who answered the Deponent, you are a Married-man and may know these matters, the Water is broke, or come away. Its observable [Page 24] that there was no body in the Room when this is said to be, but Mrs. W. so that it depends wholly between the Queen, Mrs. W's and the King's saying so. He adds that all the Company were cal­led into the Queen's Chamber, where he heard the Queen Groan, and presently af­ter several loud Shreeks; and heard them say the Queen was delivered. This is all nothing but hear-say; he does not swear that he saw any thing: And as for the Shreeks and Groans it follows naturally, that seeing they counterfeited a Birth, they must also counterfeit the Pains. All that he says further to the point is that he saw the Midwife put her Hands and Arms in the Bed and fetch out a Child, whence it is evident that he did not see the Child born.

The E. of H—n says nothing materi­al, but that the King said the Queen came according to her first reckoning; and yet we find she was very ill pre­pared for it.

S—er deposes no more but that she was at such a Labour, and went with the Child into the little Bed-chamber and took a warm Napkin and laid on its Breast, believing the Child was not well; which was the very consequent ef­fect of not cutting the Navel.

The E—s of M—fort and M—y Swear only that they heard the Ladies say the Queen was brought to Bed, and that they verily believed it was the Queen's Child, which is so superficial that there's no need of any Answer.

La—y, So—a, Bu—y, say she came not till after Nine, and being told the Child was born run to the Queen's Bedside, and heard the Queen say to the Mid­wife, pray Mrs. W—s, don't part the Child, which is nothing at all material.

The next thing to be considered is the not cutting the Navel string, which kept the Child from crying in the Bed or Warming-pan; for the Navel-string by a natural ordination of Nature keeps the [Page 26] Child from opening the mouth, nor so long as the Navel-string is uncut has the Child any occasion of the mouth, con­sidering that he receives nourishment by that as we do by the Mouth, and till he was deprived of that he could not do any office that the mouth is In­strumental to, so that notwithstanding it is an impracticable thing not to cut the Navel string, yet they passed over that as being indeed obliged to do it to keep the Child quiet, and by this means also they shewed the afterburden in a more identified manner of a late Birth (which they were obliged to) than had the Burden been parted and not left fa­stened to the Child, for had they cut it be­fore, the Blood would either have run out, or retired and made that part from whence it went cold, and much unlike the other.

The D. of Le—x, Mrs. Ma—l, Dame Is. Wo—ch. and Lady P—w do all of them Depose that they saw milk of­ten on her Majesties Smock, &c. which has been answered already—And the latter Swears that she felt the Child stir [Page 27] in the Queens Belly; but does not tell us whether she did really feel the Queens na­ked Belly or only thro the Cloths.

Mrs. P—se Swears she heard the Q. Cry out, saw the afterburden and by the washing of the Linen knew the Q. was in the same Condition that other Women use to be in on the like occa­sion; which as has been said already might all of them easily be counterfeited, and there's no doubt but the Linen made use of by the real Mother might be pre­tended to come from the Queen.

The Lord G—n deposes that he was called into the Bed Chamber and stood near the Chimney where he heard the Queen Cry. Coll. G—n deposes that the King called them into the Bed Cham­ber after that he and several Lords of the Council had waited about half an hour, whence it appears that they dar'd not to approach till the King called. And Immediately after the Queen cried out Extreamly and said, Oh I die, I die, you kill me, you kill me, then presently Mrs. [Page 28] D—n made this Deponent the sign that the Child was born. The Lord F—m waited on the Queen Dowager to Saint James's and led her into the Q. Con­sort's Bed Chamber then went into the next room and heard the Queen Crie out several times, and afterwards saw the Prince as a Child newly born. Sir St. F—x's the Earl of M—ves's E. of Pet—h's A—l's E. Su—d's and Lord Geff—y's depositions all of 'em lay the stress on hearing the Queen crie out and seeing the Child foul, and as the latter says reeking, all which is con­sistent enough with a Cheat, for the Child might be brought in that Con­dition from the true Mother's Apartments and yet appear as they have deposed, Dr. W—ly deposes he was present when the Prince was born, but does not say he saw him born, he says likewise he saw him foul and the after-burthen, and that he and other Physicians took two drops of blood from the Navel string and gave it the Child in a spoonfull of Black-Cherry water by the Queens Com­mand. Dr. Sc—h says he found the Q. [Page 29] in good Condition, but weary and pan­ting (which it was easie for her to coun­terfeit.) And that the above said Medi­cine of giving the Child some drops of Blood from its own Navel-string being mentioned among the Ladies, he con­sulted Sir T. W—ly and the other Physicians, who allowed it as conceiving it no way dangerous, which proves the falsehood of Mrs. W—s and D—e's Asserti­on, who said that it was administred at the desire and advice of the Physicians.

Sir W. W—ve deposes that her Majesty took astringent Medicines du­ring the time of her being with Child to prevent miscarriage, but does not swear that he saw her take them. The like is to be said as to Mr. St—lt—d's preparing Restringent Medici­nes for the Queen; seeing he does not Swear that he saw her take them.

Dr. B—ys Deposition is only that he saw the Child in Mrs. Labady's lap, and the Navel-string hanging down towards the Virile parts, which is nothing at all [Page 30] to the purpose: And now having gone thro all the Depositions, I shall conclude with this Observation upon the whole, viz. That those that gave them in were for the most part partial, unfit or illegal persons; and their Examination manag'd with apparent design and partiality, so that if they had been really more posi­tive and particular than they are, it could not have been sustained as Law­ful Evidence.

Then if all this be compared with Mr. Fuller's Discovery, the Imposture can no longer remain a doubt.

The Substance of his Discovery is thus, That in May 1688, the Countess of Tyrconel, brought over with her from Ireland in the Monmouth Yacht, Captain Wright Commander, two Gentlewomen bigg with Child, the first was brought to Bed at St. Albans in her way to Lon­don, but the 2d whose name was Mrs. Gray, was conveyed to the Pallace of St. James's, and Lodg'd in two private Rooms over or within the Lady Strick­land's [Page 31] Lodgings in the narrow Gallery, between the Queen's Apartment and the Great Chapel: In these Lodgings this Mrs. Gray was delivered on Sunday Morning the 10th of June, the same day and but a little time before the Queen pretended to be delivered. About the lat­ter end of June, this young Gentlewo­man was removed to the Marchioness of Powis's Apartments, in the same Gal­lery, the Marchioness being then Gover­ness to the pretended Prince, and Mrs. Grey was at the same time committed al­so to her Charge and Care.

At that very time Mr. Fuller being Page to the Marchioness, he did by her com­mand attend Mrs. Grey constantly, and supplyed her with all necessaries; she was very little visited by any but the Marchioness, and some of her Women on proper occasions; she very seldom desired to stir over the threshold of her own Lodgings, except sometimes to visit the pretended Prince, which she did with a particular Zeal and De­light. Mr. Fuller constantly attending [Page 32] her thither and back again he observed that nothing was so warmly fond of the Infant as her self, and when as a peculiar favour she was permitted to take him in her Arms, her Kisses and Embraces were more than usually ten­der and Passionate.

About the middle of July following when her strength was improved, it was thought fit by some authority from Court she should be transported into France, and accordingly Mr. Fuller, one Father Sabran and one Mrs. Jones atten­ded her to Dover; she exprest a great deal of trouble before she went, and the like on her way, as being compel­led to visit France against her Inclinati­on; and when she took her farewel of the pretended young Prince she betray­ed an extraordinary Concern, and burst forth into Tears. She was met at Dover by one Father Grey a Priest, who pre­tended to be her Brother and Embarkt for Calis, in order to be conveyed to the Convent of Benedictin Nuns at Paris, she having been in a Nunnery in Ireland before.

Mr. Fuller being after this preferred to the Queen's Service, he went over to France with her Majesty and the suppo­sed Prince at the Revolution; and the Queen putting great trust in him upon the Marchioness of Powis's Recommen­dation, in February 1689, her Majesty sent for him to St. Germains one Sun­day night to her Chamber, where she kept being as 'twas reported indisposed, by some Fright, her Majesty told him that he must prepare immediately to go for England with Letters to the Lord Montgomery and others about extraordi­nary business. She did accordingly give him her Letters, telling him that it was a matter that nearly concern'd the K. and her self, and if he should happen by a strict search to be obliged to throw his Letters into the Sea or otherwise she gave him a Ring, which he was to de­liver to the Lord Montgomery, by way of Credentials for what he had to say to him by word of Mouth, which was to tell him that the same Woman which came from Ireland with the Lady Tyr­connel [Page 34] in May 1688, was stolen out of the Nunnery in Paris, where she was kept (there having been a breach in the Garden-walls) and that it was the opini­on of the French Court that she had been assisted by some of the Prince of Orange's Friends in Paris, to make her escape from thence, in order to come for Eng­land. She Commanded him also to tell the Lord Montgomery that the French King had taken all possible care to prevent her going off, but least his Endeavours might prove ineffectual it was her desire that immediately after Mr. Fuller's Arrival in England the Ld. Montgomery and others should take care to place people on the Coast of England that might inform them when she Land­ed, and then they were positively com­manded to use all Endeavours to get her dispatched to prevent whatever designs she might pretend to. Mr. Ful­ler having received his orders set for­ward for England and came as far as Abbeville where he delivered a Letter to Father Peters requiring him to go to St. Omers to observe whether or no [Page 35] the Woman might come that way in order to her embarquing for England, but Mr. Crane Gentleman Usher to the late Q. arriving in the mean time with a Counter order commanding him to return to St. Germans, the Q. told him that the lost sheep was found at a private house in Paris, and was now under the care of the Countess of Sussex.

The next day Mr. Fuller and Father Sabran went in one of the Queens Coaches to bring the Countess and Mrs. Grey to St. Germains, where the latter was conveyed privately to the Queen by Mr. Fuller, and she staid in her Maje­sties Chamber, together with the Marchi­oness of Powis, the Countess of Sussex and others above an hour, and was afterwards conveyed to a private Ap­partment belonging to the Lady Powis where she continued a day or two, after which the late Queen and the whole Court went to visit the French King at Marli three miles from St. Ger­mains, and that same Evening Mr. Ful­ler, Father Sabran, the Countess of Sus­sex [Page 36] and Mrs. Grey went thither in the Prince's Coach with six Horses and were conveyed to a room belonging to the Archbishop of Paris, while the Coun­tess went publickly to wait upon the French King and the late Queen; after which Mr. Fuller, Father Sabran, and Mrs. Grey were conducted privately to the French King's Backstairs, the poor Woman Lamenting her hard fate mean while, which she said was occasioned by her last being in England, she grieved so excessively that she fainted several times before they could get her to the French Kings apartment, whither she was conducted by a Jesuit, and where she continued about half an hour with the French King and the late Queen: being brought down again by that same Je­suit, she wept bitterly and told Father Sabran and Mr. Fuller, that now she must take her everlasting farewell of them, and so she was carried away by the said Jesuit, and never more seen nor heard of by Mr. Fuller tho' he made most diligent Enquiry after her at all the English, Scots and Irish Nunneries in [Page 37] Paris and other places where he had great acquaintance, and Father Sabran who was Chaplain to the pretended Prince and is now his Tutor, did frank­ly tell Mr. Fuller that he believed she would not be alive the day following, nor was it fit she should live.

He adds that besides his own know­ledge in this affair there have been several Letters and Papers found in Mrs. Labadie's Fathers Trunk relating to Mrs. Grey and the whole Intrigue, besides several Corroborating proofs from di­vers persons of quality in Ireland, and others; as also the Captain that brought her over from Ireland, and him that car­ried her over to France.

As to his not publishing his Narra­tive sooner, he answers, that it was laid before the King and Queen in 1690. that many others have been examined in this matter, whose depositions agree with his, and that the Lord Preston's and Mr. Crone's Confessions upon Oath cor­roborate his, but that the Lord N— [Page 36] would not suffer him to Print his own defence, and did also prevent the prin­ting of Madam Labadies Letters, not­withstanding the Queens Command, pre­tending they were misllaid.

To Conclude then, it's evident that all these things being laid together they amount to as full and Concluding a demonstration of the Imposture of the pretended Prince of Wales as the thing is capable of, except the parties con­cerned should actually confess it. The bringing of this Mrs. Grey bigg with Child from Ireland and her being brought to bed in St. James's at the very time when the Queen pretended to be brought to be confirms all the Exceptions made against the Evidence in the foregoing sheets, and seeing there's none of the depositions but what may consist with a Cheat except Mr. Wilks's who was a tool fitted to their pur­pose, it is the strongest Confirmation Imaginable that all the steps of the Im­posture here related are certainly true.

But the Imposture appears still in more lively Colours when we com­pare the former part of this History with Mr. Fuller's Narrative, for it Mrs. Grey was not the Mother of the pre­tended Prince, why should she above all others have the Privilege of hug­ging him, why should she have disco­vered so much concern at leaving him, why should the late Queen be in such a Mortal fright at her escaping out of the Nunnery at Paris, why should she Imagine that the Prince of Orange's friends contributed to that Escape, why should such bloody and positive orders have been given for her destruction, and such care taken to prevent her ar­rival in England or at Whitehall, and why when found again, should the French King have been so much concerned in the matter as to Examine her, and why should such bloody Expressions have dropt from Father Sabran's mouth as that he believed she would not be a­live next day, and that it was not fit she should live, if they were not Con­scious to themselves that she was the [Page 40] true Mother and that therefore it was their Interest to prevent any possibility of her making a discovery, the fear of which had put them into such dis­order, and the Consequences of which might have been so dangerous to them so that upon the whole there's no man who is not possess't with invincible pre­judice but must needs be convinced of the imposture designed to be put upon the Nation in this affair.