Mr. William Fullers third narrative, containing new matters of fact, proving the pretended Prince of Wales to be a grand cheat upon the nation with an answer to some reflections cast upon him, the whole written with his own hand.

Mr. William Fullers third narrative, containing new matters of fact, proving the pretended Prince of Wales to be a grand cheat upon the nation with an answer to some reflections cast upon him, the whole written with his own hand.

Table of contents

Title page

THE PREFACE TO THE READER. Tunbridge-Wells August 30 96.

Mr. FULLER'S THIRD NARRATIVE.

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Mr. FULLER'S THIRD NARRATIVE.

THis Author first declares, that, whether the Birth of the pretended Prince of Wales were Legitimate, or supposititious, has not been questioned or thought [Page]worthy to be examined publick by authority, and therefore seems to add, that the Birth must be Legitimate because the present Government has not exposed that vile Imposture: As, I am sure, they justly might; though the Clemency of our present King, and his late Royal Consort of Blessed Memory, (whose goodness, have always been equal to their Royal Births and Greatness) having in this as in many other Cases, been willing to pass by the Greatest Abuses, and Injuries, committed against [Page] them; for which their Majesties have been only abused by those they spared; which the Queen was very well assured of, and did once command Mrs. Labaddies Letters, and other Papers relating to this supposititious Birth to be Published: And how little soever this Quality, or rather Billingsgate Writer wou'd make me appear, I shall prove him much in the wrong: and assure him, that this matter concerning Mrs. Mary Grey, has been examined before Great and Lawful Authority; as the Chief Ministers of [Page] State of this Kingdom; and the positive and corroborating Proofs of several Persons of Quality and others, have all agreed sufficiently to convince the World of the reality of this Impostor.

And that I published it for filthy Lucre, is basely false; for my Printer and Publisher will Depose upon Oath, that I gave the Copy gratis, and would never accept of any Present: No, on the contrary I did it to serve my King and Country, and will maintain so just a Truth to my last breath.

[Page] Next, he charges me with calling in the assistance of a Poet, to exert so much of his Wit and Eloquence, as might help me to entertain the Multitude with this so diverting a Tragy Comedy (as he calls it) as my Discovery of the Mother, and the Murther of the Mother of the pretended Prince of Wales. I cannot but stand amazed at his Frenzy, or Impudence, to charge me with such a notorious falsity, which is known to be so to the King himself, and several of the Ministers of State, to whom I gave the above mentioned [Page] Narrative of the True Mother of the pretended Prince of Wales, as is now Published; and I can produce a hundred Gentlemen to whom I shewed the said Narrative, and gave them exact Copies: Soon after my lost coming from France, which was some years before I knew Mr. Settle.

And as to the latter part of that Narrative, relating to my own unhappy credulity, occasioned by the immaturity of my Judgment, and the perfidy of Dalleval and Hays, for whose appearance I engaged to [Page] the House of Commons, with the relation of what I discovered to the King, concerning several former Designs against his Sacred Person and Government, was all writ by my own Hand at Canterbury; where I expos'd it to several the same day I writ it, and I do Declare, that neither Mr. Settle, nor any other Persons gave me any assistance in either of my Books; only the Dedication, which I confess he did; I having not been acquainted with things of that kind: nor shou'd I indeed pretend to Publish any thing [Page] but This, which is matter of Fact, and a Truth, which I defie the World to Disprove.

As for my Birth, I gave an account of it in my last Book. And if it were not so, certainly this Great Zealot for this sham Princes Cause, might easily disprove me: Those of his Stamp seldom want Witnesses to Swear at Pleasure: But it is evidently known, that I have had all opportunities of an ingenuous Education; and had once the great Sabran (now [Page] Tutor to the pretended Prince) for my School-Master, or Governour.

And as for what he mentions pag. 3. of a Plot upon a Worthy and Reverend Prelate of this Kingdom, I cannot imagine; and especially, since he says, And how shamefully and visibly his (meaning my self) veracity came by the Lee, and the lye too, in the Affair: This assurance of his, I look on but as a pure piece of Popish Principles, by which they wou'd yet indeavour, by palpable lyes, to support [Page] a bad Cause; for I do declare, I never gave any information against any Bishop, but the late Bishop of Ely; only it was my misfortune, to read a Copy of a pretended Address to the French King, which Mr. Hayes carried to the late Queen at St. Germains; to which there was fixed the names of several Bishops and others, whom I always believed knew nothing of it: which I declared to the House, when I presented it, as it was my Duty so to do. Therefore I may justly affirm this Charge as false as his others

[Page] Next, He tells you, that my Secretary seems to Envy for my sake, that Mr. Pendergrass, Mr. Porter, and Mr. De la Rue, with their Companions, shou'd go away with the whole Glory of the late Discovery, &c. But, for this Conjecture, he can have no more ground, then for the former; but resolves, if possible, to banter such truths, as no honest or Conscientious man can deny: Such were my discoveries, which have been evidently confirm'd by the Lord Preston, Mr. Crowe, and others; which, I think, do in no wise lessen the services of the above said Gentlemen, in their Discoveries of the Conspiracies against the Kings sacred Person and Government▪ as this Spark wou'd Insinuate, Confidently affirming, [Page] That his Majesty, nor the Government, would hardly take notice of my Informations.

I think▪ I have in my former sufficiently set forth the Indeavours made use of, to Invallidate me to the King and Parliament, which the World has now found, by experience, was the only means to secure the late King's Friends, and cover their bloody Designs; which from the Year 1689. They have been contriving against the present Government.

He now begins to bring together the Testimonies, of several upon Oaths, who, he tells you, Ʋnanimously declare the Late Queen to be the true Mother, &c. Which Depositions are already Printed.

[Page] By these you may see, what pains this Gentleman has taken, to Collect those Depositions; and after a serious view of them, I presume, most will allow his time but wasted: For I cannot find, that any one but the Midwife does affirm, That they saw the Child come from the Queens Body. But on this subject I will not dispute for modesty sake; Besides, the weakness of those feeble Allegations is a subject that has been often publickly exposed, and that lately too, which this Quality-writer, wisely takes notice of, as being unable to Answer. I shall therefore quit that needless Argument, and proceed to inform you, what I know concerning Mrs. Mary Grey, and which hath already, and will be sufficiently [Page] prov'd, by a great number of Witnesses.

First, that the said Mary Grey, with another Gentlewoman, came over from Ireland, both big with Child, with the Lady Tyconel, some short time before the late Queen pretended to be delivered of the supposed Prince of Wales, which was on the tenth of June, near ten in the Morning. Mrs. Mary Grey being several days before Lodged privately in St. James, in the narrow Gallery, which was near the Queens apartment; It is certain, that on Saturday the 9th of the same June, Mrs. Grey was taken Ill; upon which the Queen came suddenly to St. James; and one Sunday, when her Majesty pretended to be in Labour, Mrs. Grey, until [Page] nine the same morning, was heard to Groan, and make faint screeks; and at her ceasing, the Prince was soon Born. After which she continued three weeks at St. James, and was then sent to France, and there Cloystered up in a Convent of the Be [...]n [...] dict [...]-Nuns in Paris; where there was a breach in the Garden Walls in Febuary 1689/90. At which time she made her escape; which Alarm'd the French King, and the late Queen, and occasion'd my being sent in order to imbark for England to get her dispatcht, at her Landing there; and that she was carried to St. Germains to the late Queen, after her being taken in Paris, and also to the French King at Merli, I do affirm to be truth; nor cou'd the French [Page] Court at this time so cuningly disguise the Consternation they were under, but it took breath: And wou'd our Male-contents, who are lately come from France, speak truth; I am sure they cannot but Remember part of what I relate: However I don't question, but this matter will be plainly made out, to the satisfaction of all Europe, very suddenly, by a sufficient Number of Witnesses.

Now, to return to the other objections against me, alledged by this malicious Gentleman, who tells you, I have been confessed guilty of Ingratitude to my best Friends and pretended Relations, and have been openly Convinced of most Villanous and Malicious Forgery, against a Reverend Bishop; and of a wicked[Page]design against the whole Church of England. To these I Answer, and appeal to any moderate Judicious, and Christian tempered Reader, that my Duty to my Country ought to be valued above any private Interest, or Friend. And I must confess, I have always had the greatest value and respect for the Persons of my Friends at St. Germains: But the Barbarity of the Intriegues they had imploy'd me in, gave me sufficient cause to leave their service, in order to prevent the effusion of my Countrys blood, and the Ruine of the Liberties of England, by bringing it under a French power; which looked very dangerously at the time of my coming over: For the full Relation of which, I refer my Reader [Page] to my other Books; only I beg leave to inform you, that I did not leave the late King and Queens terms, without sufficient cause, and a serious consideration; I mean, in regard to the publick good for which I have suffered, and glory in my wrongs.

But as for any Forgery committed by me against a Bishop, I stand amazed that a Person of Quality shou'd persist in so known a Lye. I have heard, I confess, of some such Villany committed against the Bishop of Ro [...]chester; but sure I am, that his Lordship, had never any Reason in the least to suspect me concern'd; besides the Persons were convicted; and I never till now was charged with such a crime.

[Page] And he would insinuate, that I designed against the whole Church of England, &c. Certainly this Author knows me not; for I presume most that do, can answer, That I profess my self, tho unworthy, a Member of that Church; To which I was brought over, and convinced of the Errors of the Church of Rome, by the late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Tillotson.

He continues to repeat my misfortune before the House of Commons, and is hardly put to his shifts for Arguments against me, to invalidate my [Page] Testimony, and cover the cunning management of the Impostor-Prince, which will be made Good by no less Number of prevailing Witnesses than his mighty Troop of Thirty Seven: For Truth, tho oppressed and stifled for a time, Will at last break forth, and maintain its Property against all such scribling lying Opposers, as this Gentleman has expos'd himself to be.

He would reflect on the Papers and Letters which I purpose suddenly to Publish; but neither himself nor Party will have much cause; for [Page] they shall have them as soon as the Parliament sits, and which had e're this been publisht; only the extraordinary consequence of them will, I hope, at that time, be more serviceable to the true Interest of the present Government.

I must confess, I cannot positively affirm, that Mrs. Mary Grey was murthered; but after what I had seen and heard from the late Queens, Mrs. Grey and Fa. Sabran's own mouths, and missing her from the time of Conveying her from the [Page] French King's back stairs, I had sufficient reasons, and did really believe she was murthered.

He adds, That any Man, that has not a very strong Faith, would Hardly believe (without very good proof) the escape of such a poor Woman should so mightily Alarm the French King and late Queen; when her escape could have done them little harm; since it had been more Innocent for them to pretend, that whatever the woman, when in England, declared, she was hired, and words put into her mouth, [Page] by King William and his Agents, &c.

To this I answer, and it is known to most in Europe; that the French King is the most unfit person to impose such an untruth on the World: For his Gallick Majesty very well knows▪ that had Mrs. Grey come over to England, and declar'd this matter, all his Declarations, or charges against her, wou'd have signified but little: For the many false Impositions of the French King, and his abdicated Brother, are too well known, for [Page] any to trust, or believe them for the future, without good security. And on the other hand, all must allow King William never gave incouragement to Villanies, nor false Imputations, to support his cause or Interest in any kind; His Throne is Establish'd on the Basis, of true Justice and Vertue.

This Author adds, There was no need of the French Kings being there at the personal Examination, of Mrs. Grey; and says, It was below him; nay it was none of his concern; but the late King and Queens, [Page] &c. But in this, as in other cases, he shews his Vanity, in opposing truths; and sure he must willfully forget, that King James was at this time in Ireland, which almost every one knows: And the late Queen never did any business of concern, without consulting the French King; to whom, at this time, she was in a more special manner obliged to apply her self for his assistance; fearing without it, it might prove Impossible for her to be any longer secured from being expos'd, in this her Master-piece of Intriegue on which all her hopes, [Page] and even those of the late Kings success depended.

As for their confining Mrs. Grey in some remote Convent, as tHat of Oublies, &c. If ever the late Queen or French King had any such thoughts, it must needs be stifled by the late Queens extraordinary Consternation, which she had not then recovered: But, as in the case of the Duke of Monmouth, nothing but blood could satisfy her: besides as their might happen a breach in those Garden Walls too, or some other Contrivance, which might afford Mrs. Grey a second opportunity of Leaving them, her Death was therefore undoubtedly thought most secure, and might easily be practised where 'tis not thought so great a sin, but may be absolved, especially in so important a Cause.

[Page] This Gentleman now falls hard on Mr. Settle, for assisting me; which, God knows, he did not; for I have no need of help in a Relation of a Matter, where I was so nearly concerned; And as for his Advice, When he writs next for me, &c. I do tell him, That, as in the two former Treatises, so in This, I have writ nothing but what is true, and what I will maintain against all Opposers whatever; of which I will give the World a further Proof, as soon as my business will permit me: And, by reason I never heard of any Bishop, that writ against me, I have no occasion to trouble my Self with the matter: And, as for that of the [Page] House of Commons, I hope to have a just Hearing; and am contented, that my Life should lie at stake, in case I prove not what I have writ, or said in This, or Others, in my just Defence.

Having thus answered all the Objections of this malicious Author against me, I now proceed to solve some other Queries, which have been spread abroad by other Male-Contents; who knowing their Instability, only Mole-like, work under Ground, and try all Shifts and Arts to Trap me: One of these is Mr. S—, a Zealous Roman Catholi [...]k, who was in France sometime, though now obliged to return for Bread, and sets up for [Page] an Opposer of my Narrative; laying hold of an Error in my first Book, committed by the Printer, viz. in these words, I Embark'd with the late Queen, her pretended Son, &c. from White-Hall; whereas, in my Original, the words were, That I Embark'd in the same Barge which carryed the Queen; and the next Day following, we arrived at Callais, in a Yatch: I confess, I should at first have enlarged on the full Account of this Matter; but that I thought it might be too tedious for to trouble my Reader with, by reason so many have writ formerly on the same Subject

[Page] Next, it is alledged by some, who are either wilfully ignorant, or malicious in their Reports, That I never was Page of Honour to the late Queen, &c. I confess, it was in France: But if the Testimony, or Confession of one upon his Tryal, for his Life and Death, may be credited▪ I hope, Mr. Crone's words may; which were on his Tryal these, viz. I confess, I was in France, and introduced to the Queen by Mr. Fuller, her Majesty's Page, that was in waiting, when I came to St. Germains: To which he adds, (and just before his Condemnation) That, had he but known on what Account I was in France, when he [Page]was with me, he would have used me as I had done him. Thus far his Irish Assurance prompted him to Express his Zeal for King James's Cause, even when he was found Guilty of High Treason; for which he was Condemned at the Old Baily, and Reprieved from time to time, which he obtained by repeated Promises of making a full and ingenuous Confession of what he knew to the Government; which he perform'd, after having had Twenty Four Reprieves from the King and Queen; upon which he was Pardoned, and set at Liberty; and Orders were given for the Indictments to be drawn up against such as the [Page] said Crone, in his Confession, had Discovered; as also, against those, to whom, with him, I brought Commissions, and Instructions from the late King and Queen, and the French King, for the furthering the Designs, then on Foot, to Kill King William, and His Royal Consort Queen Mary, and to seize them Dead or Alive; with private Instructions, to secure, in the like manner, Alive or Dead, all Lords and Others, which should oppose King James's Interest, or the Authority of those to whom he had given Commission, under his Broad Seal, bearing Date at Dublin, to [Page] Act for him as Deputies, or Lords Justices of England.

Concerning this, I cannot forbear to acquaint my Reader; That these Lords, trusted in so great a Concern, were appointed by the French King: For a Commission of this kind, was sent over from Dublin to St. Germains in January, 1690. But the French King, being displeased with some Persons that King James had Authorized, sent it immediately back to him by an Express, to notifie his dislike; wh [...]ch King James did not Dispute; but instantly dispatched the Lord Thomas Howard to the French King, [Page] upon the adjusting of that Matter: And, on his Voyage, that unhappy and ingenious Lord had the misfortune to be Cast away; and his Fate not being known in some time, occasioned a tedious delay, in this Matter: But the French King, recommending such Persons as he thought fit for this weighty Affair, sent his Opinion, or rather Commmand, to King James; and so instantly passed a new Commission, as the French King Nominated.

To this Affair I was Privy, as being sent by Monsieur Lovie, (recommended by the Queen) to King James in Ireland; where I staid until the News was Confirmed [Page] of my Lord Thomas Howard's hard Fate: Upon which I returned from King James at Dublin, to France, with a Gentleman, who brought the last Commission to the French Court; with which Mr. Crone, and my Self, was dispatcht for England, with several other Commissions, as soon as the French Court had News, that their Fleet was ready to Sail, in the Year 1690. being the time King James's Party had procured so great an Intrest and Provision, in England, in order to assist a French Army: The Services I performed for the present Government, on this occasion, I need not mention; since the King, in [Page] part, was Graciously pleased to declare it to the Parliament; immediately after my Coming from France.

I having writ this former Narrative at Tunbridge-Wells, and coming Post to Town the Day following, in order to Publish it, a Friend of mine brought me a few Lines, which he tells me, were writ by an Eminent Citizen, and one of the Gentlemen, that was of Mr. Crone's Jury: The words as I have them fairly written, are as followeth, viz.

§

SIR,

WHat I Ʋrg'd relating to Mr. Fuller, was this viz. That Mr. Crone, in his own Defence [Page] Alledged, That he was employed by the late Queen to raise such Sums of Money, as Mr. Fuller charged upon him; but not for carrying on the War, only for the Queens Debts, and a Natural Child of the Abdicated King's, &c. To support the Allegation, be earnestly desired a Lady might be called, who produced a Letter in Court, importing, that Mr. Crone was entrusted to raise such Sums, &c. One of the Judges asking, Who wrote the Letter? Mr. Crone answered, My Sollicitor, my Lord; which startled the Sollicitor, who said to Crone, Plague Damn you, and so with drew himself. Crone's Answer was pretermitted by another Judge's asking [Page] the Lady, How long long she had had the Letter? &c.

SIR, My self, with several others of the Jury, heard Mr. Crone's Answer, which absolutely Establishes the whole Truth of what Mr. Fuller charg'd Mr. Crone withall, ab Origine; because Mr. Crone, on his Tryal, Defended himself by a Fictitious Allegation; and proved it to be such, by the premention'd Forged Letter, which Demonstrates to impartial Persons, that Mr. Crone offered nothing towards invalidating Mr. Fuller's Evidence, but Fiction and Forgery.

[Page] I shall Conclude this Narrative with the Observations this Gentleman makes, That Crone endeavoured to invalidate me, by the basest and vilest means, which the Devil or Malice could invent; and such has been the restless Endeavours of the late King's party, ever since; and particularly, the practice of this late Author; whom I advise, in return of his Kindness to Me, to be better inform'd, before he pretends to write again

FINIS.

§

§

[Page]

Mr. William Fuller's THIRD NARRATIVE, CONTAINING New Matters of FACT, Proving the pretended Prince of WALES TO BE A Grand Cheat upon the Nation.

WITH An Answer to some Reflections cast upon Him.

The whole Written with his own Hand.

LONDON, Printed in the Year 1696.

THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
Tunbridge-Wells August 30 96.

[Page]

[Page]

COming on Saturday night last, to Bonds-Coffe-house, on the Walks, I met with some Letters, and a Book intituled The truest Account of Mr. Fuller's Discovery of the True Mother of the pretended Prince of Wales, Born June [Page] the 10th. 1688. By a Person of Quality.

Upon my perusing it, I confess, I cou'd not forbear to pity the vanity of the Author, who has made use of not so much as one true Argument, or substantial Evidence or Circumstance to disprove any particular of my Narrative, which is the business, he but indeed only seems to endeavour. But I neither fear or value what he or any of the late King's Party can say, or do in opposition of what I have writ on this Subject: Such snarling Impudent Lyers I presume are no [Page] ways extreamly serviceable to the late King or his pretended Son's Interest; for their Lyes, Perjuries and Shams have been so often detected, from time to time, that they will hardly ever gain any credit from the most rational Men of this Kingdom, untill they give us some strong proofs of their Reformation; which this Spark I am sure has not done; and may well be ashamed to discover his name: Certainly he thinks the bare name of Quality has a strong influence on the belief of the People of England; but the Cheat is grown as common with [Page] Authors, as Vizard-masks are indeavouring to pass under the same Notion, in a side Box, or middle Gallery.

What I have writ in the following Treatise is my own, the Stile is mean, which (I hope the Reader will pardon, since the matter is truth, I writ it in hast on Monday morning August the 30th. 1696. without any help, as I can prove by several at the Wells with me.

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THese Two Books following, were Written and Published by Mr. WILLIAM FULLER, (Page of Honour to the late Queen in France) Author of this Book, viz.

I. A Brief Discovery of the True Mother of the Pretended Prince of Wales, known by the Name of Mary Grey. To which is Added, A further Discovery of the late Conspiracy against His Majesty's Sacred Person, and Government, &c. As laid before the King &c. and Deposed to a Committee of Parliament. By WILLIAM FƲLLER, Gent. sometimes Page of Honour to the late Queen in France.

Price, Six Pence.

II. A Further Confirmation, That Mary Grey was the True Mother of the Pretended Prince of Wales. Together, with an Account of the Private[Page]Messages, and Letters, sent by the French King, King James, the late Queen, and other Persons of Quality, to their Agents in England. Published by WILLIAM FƲLLER, Gent. who was privy to whole Management. To which is added, the Author's Vindication of Himself, from the Male-Contents of this Kingdom.

Price, Six Pence.

Mr. De Labadie's LETTER to his Daughter Mrs. De Labadie, Nurse to the Pretended Prince of Wales. Written in Characters, and Deciphered by Dr. Wallis, Professor of Geometry in Oxford. Which said LETTER is referred to by Mr. Fuller in his Two Narratives; and is a plain demonstration of that horrid Imposture. With Reflections upon it, and a full Answer to the Material Objections, in a late Pamphlet, Entituled, The Truest Account of Mr. Fullers Discovery, &c. By another Hand.

Price, Six Pence.

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Title statement

Mr. William Fullers third narrative, containing new matters of fact, proving the pretended Prince of Wales to be a grand cheat upon the nation with an answer to some reflections cast upon him, the whole written with his own hand.

Fuller, William, 1670-1717?

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1696

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2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A40702

ID [STC]

Wing F2486

ID [STC]

ESTC R7021

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

11798714

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ocm 11798714

ID [VID]

49339

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A40702)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 49339)

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— Mr. William Fullers third narrative, containing new matters of fact, proving the pretended Prince of Wales to be a grand cheat upon the nation with an answer to some reflections cast upon him, the whole written with his own hand., Fuller, William, 1670-1717?.

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[6], 45 p.

[s.n.],. London :: 1696.. (Reproduction of original in Huntington Library.)

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