GReat is the malice of wicked men, and their Cruelty not to be exprest; the best of Kings have had Plotts and Conspira­cies against them, and the most innocent men have been barbarously murthered; The day before Michaelmas day last, there was some Disco­very made of a most horrid Plott, laid by Jesuits and Papists, against the Life of our Soveraign Lord the King (whom may the Arm of Almighty God Protect and preserve, and cloath all His Enemies with shame and Confusion) as also that they had Conspir'd to Overthrow the Protestant Religion, alter the Government, &c. Upon which some per­sons were taken and sent to Newgate, and several other Discoveries have since been made, and per­sons Imprisoned but of particulars we have no Commission, tis out hope and good me [...]s Prayers, [Page 4] that the villany may be wholly discovered, and those concerned in it deservedly punisht.

And so I shall proceed to give you an account of the Murther of Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey, who may be called the first Martyr in this Cause, For this worthy Gentleman being one of His Majesties Justices of the Peace, was concerned in taking the Examinations upon the first Discovery of this Trea­sonable design and (as became him) was very dili­gent therein; whereby tis verily beleiv'd some Pa­pists conceived such a malice against him as occasio­ned his lamentable Murther, for going forth on Saturday the 12th. of October, from his House in Greens Lane near Charing Cross, he neither came home to Dinner, nor returned at night, which much amazed his Servants, but from that time till the Thursday following, no certain tydings could be heard of him, although all earnest and diligent Inquieries and Searches were made for him; but on Thursday the 17th. of October his body was found in a field out of any Road or Path, near a place cal­led Primrose Hill, about three miles from London, The manner how he came to be found, is Related thus, Two persons going to an Alehouse, called the white house, two or three fields off, on some occa­sion, to go the nearest way cross over this field, and near the Hedge, saw as they thought, a Sword and Belt, and a stick and a pair of Gloves, but suppo­sing them to belong to some person that was gone into the ditch to ease himself, did not meddle with them, but told the man of the Alehouse of it, who [Page 5] as they return'd would go with them to see the thing [...], because (as he said) there had been seve­ral Soldiers out that way of late a Hedge-Hog-Hunting, and possibly some of them might have carelesly left them behind them; coming to the place, they found a Belt and Scabbard, but without a sword, and the Gloves and stick lying as afore­said, and o [...]e of them going to take them up, per­ceived something like a man in the Ditch, and going nearer, a body lying on its belly in the ditch with a sword run clear through him and remaining therein, Hereupon they immediately called an Officer, who with several Neighbours came to the place, the sword was run in just under the lest pap, and stuck forth at the right side of his back, about seven or eight inches. The Officer knowing it to be the body of Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey, and [...]aving removed it out of the ditch, found in his Pockets seven Guinnies, four broad pieces, and two small pieces of Gold, four pound and half a crown in Sil­ver, and three Gold Rings about him, tis believ'd the villains had a design to murther his Reputation as well as his person, and left him in this manner with his money, to make it be thought that [...]e Murthered himself: But tis well known he was a more judicious and christian person, and had a plentiful Estate, and no colour for such a scandal, and that which makes it plain to be an inhumane Murther in them, are these circumstances.

First, there was nothing missing about him but his band, and his Pocket-Book wherein he used to [Page 6] carry the Examinations of such as came before him, which probably these Murderers had occasion for, that it might be concealed.

Secondly, th [...]re was no sign of blood in the ditch, nor thereabouts to be seen.

Thirdly, There was a Seam or Circle about his Neck, and the blood settled in the upper part, whereby it appears that he was first strangled be­fore he was run through, and as for his large lac'd band, which he went from Home with, on, and now was missing, tis like being a long neckt man and using to wear a high Collar, when they came to strangle him, he might struggle, and they could not do it without tearing it to pieces, and so durs [...] not bring any of it with the body, least it should discover the violence they had used to him.

And lastly, the soles of his shoes were as clean as if he had been but just then brought off a bed or out of a Chamber, and that he was killd elsewhere and brought thither a little before he was found is evident, because on the Tuesday before, which was four days after he was first missing, the owner of this field having lost a Calf, searching diligent­ly along this ditch and two other men with him, and then there was [...]either body in the ditch, nor Belt Gloves or Stick on the banck, upon all these circumstances, and many others, the Coroners Ju­ry gave in their Verdict, That he was wilfully Mur­thered.

In pursuance of which the King's Majesty out of his zeal to Justice, and detestation of such [...]orrid [Page 7] villany, was pleased to set forth first a Proclamati­on, and then a Declaration, whereby be graci­ously promises o [...] his Royal Word, that whoever will discover the Murderers shall have five Hun­dred pounds, and if any of them will discover the rest, he shall be sure of pardon, and the Five Hun­dred pound too; there are some persons in hold upon suspicion, and tis hoped it may come out shortly to the glory of God, and shame and punish­ment of those wicked persons concerned in it.

The Corps being Imbalmed, was kept till Thursday the last day of October, and then was car­ryed in most Noble manner, from the Great Hall of the Corporation of Old Bridewel (whereof he was one of the Governours) unto his late Parish Church being St. Martins in the Fields; never was seen a more solemn, or decent Funeral, Eight Knights, and all Justices of the Peace held up the Pall, All the Aldermen of the City attended the Corps, and above an hundred Ministers that came of their own accord without any invitation, but that of respect to his memory, and of persons of Quality and other company the croud was so great, that the Train reach'd at once from Bridewel beyond the New Exchange in the Strand, and the Church so crowded, that persons of Quality had offer'd great summs of money to get a place in any seat where they might hear.

The Reverend Dean of Banger, in Wales, Mini­ster of that Parish, Preached a most Excellent Ser­mon from that suitable Text, 2 Samuel. Chap. 3. [Page 8] ver. 34. As a m [...]n falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou, and all the people wept over him, which being finisht, he was decently interr'd with great la­mentation, especially of the Poor, whom he had alwayes made it his business to imploy and relieve, and had given and lent several hundred pounds to that Parish on that Account.