HAving perused a certain Printed sheet, called, The Speech of the Lord Russel to the Sheriffs, together with the Paper delivered by him to them at the place of Execution; I could no [...] imagine the said Paper to be the Words of a Per­son of his Quality, or indeed of a dying Christian, till [...]ound underwritten, Printed by J. Darby by Direction [...] the Lady Russel.

Upon this satisfaction, I could not forbear seriously [...]d thoroughly examining the Contents of the Speech [...]d Paper; and upon full consideration thereof, I think [...] the Duty of a good Subject to give the World my [...]inion of the several Protestations and Assertions [...]roughout it, and the Tendency they naturally bear.

In his short Speech to the Sheriff he says little; only, that be expected much noise at that place, and therefore [...]ng not fond of much speaking, and much less at that [...]; He tells the Sheriff, He had set down in that Paper [...]en and there given him) all that he THOƲGHT FIT [...] [...]ave behind him: And truly in that he spoke like an [...]e, for in the said Paper he has left no more behind [...]m, as he says, then he Thought fit indeed.

In true, he continues in the said Speech to affirm, [...] the words of a dying man, I know of no Plot, either against [...]e Kings Life, or the Government. The Truth and Va­ [...]dity of which dying Protestation, we shall see fully examined in his following Paper.

The subject of the first Paragraph in the Paper; is only his Thoughts of another World, and his Preparati­ons made for Death; his Thanks to God for his In­ [...]ite Blessings, both in the Advantages of his Worthy Parents and Religious Education, with the Assurance of the Love and Mercy of God through the Merits of Christ, and Fullness of Joy in his Presence, &c. All which I have nothing to say to, but only to wish with Cordial Christian Charity, that he has found that Mercy from the hands of a Gracious God, which his own hopes assured him: For Heaven forbid the highest of Criminals should be punish'd beyond the Grave, or that a Temporal punishment with a true Penitence might not be a sufficient Expiation for the greatest Guilt.

In the second Paragraph, he gives you an account of his Faith, saying, I dye of the Reformed Religion, a true and sincere Protestant, and in the Communion of the Church of England, though I could never yet comply with, or rise up to all the heights of many People.

Here it is true he is of the Church of England's Communion; but indeed such a Mungril Communi­cant of that Church, that he cannot comply with, or rise up to the heights of many people of that Commu­nion. Now how he has lag'd below the Members of our Church; not only the Fatal Cause that brought him to his End, demonstrates; but a farther sample of his Religion we have upon Record in the Lear­ned Works of his own good Chaplain the Author of JƲLIAN.

Where the Doctrine of, Rebel my Country-men, is so elaborately handled, and that great pattern of Christ Submission to Magistracy, and that distinguishing Shib­boleth of Christianity, Passive Obedience, is so Artfully attaqued; that truly-from such a Pastor, and such Principles, 'tis undoubtedly evident, that (to use his Expression) he was not extreamly well taught to reach to the heights of the Church of England.

From this part of his Paper, to the end of the Chap­ter, his Lordship begins to bear up smartly to the matter; and the whole Paper throughout, is but a Compact of the highest Uncharity against the King and Court, a continued Arraignment of the Judge and Justice of the Kingdom, and indeed the whole Go­vernment it self: A heap of Exclamations against the monstrous dangers of Popery, and an Appeal to the very Mobile to remove them, and lastly a feeble and lame pretence of his own Loyalty and Innocence crutch'd up with so many Reservations, Evasions, and Equivocations, that even through his Lordships own Spectacles were never seen in the Rankest of Jesuits 3 which you'll find as follows.

But first, for a taste of his Innocence, in Paragraph the 8th. he avers, I never was at Mr. Shepherds with that Company but once, and there was no undertaking then of securing and seizing the Guards, nor none appoin­ted to view or examine them: (which (nor none) I'll be so charitable not to take in the Affirmative, but read it (nor any)] Some discourse there was of the Feasible­ness of it, had several Times by ACCIDENT in general discourse elsewhere I have heard it mentioned, as a thing might easily be done, but never consented to as fit to be done. And particularly at my Lord Shaftsbury's, there being some general discourse of this kind, I immediately flew out, and exclaimed against it; and ask'd if the thing succeeded, what must be done next but Massacring the [...]n [...]s, and killing 'em in Cold Blood? which I look'd upon as so detestable a thing, and so like a Popish Practice, that I could not but abhor it. And at the same time the Duke of Monmouth took me by the Hand, and told me very kindly. My Lord, I see you and I are of a Temper: did you ever hear so horrid a Thing?

Here observe the prettiest piece of more than Je­suitical Equivocation. The Conference at Shepherds contained no Ʋndertaking of Securing or Seizing the Guards, &c. Only some Discourse about the Feasibleness of it. If so eminent a piece of work as Seizing the Kings Guards were only a piece of Title Tatle amongst these great men, a Tryal of Skill to argue for Wit-sake, or to pass away the time over a Glass of Mr. Shepherds Sherry: How comes it about the Lord heard it by his own Confession SEVERAL TIMES, and oh wonderful, all by Accident! A thing never inten­ded to be put in Action, could never be the dull re­iterated impertinent Talk so many times over, amongst persons of such Sense, nor could the Lord Russel's Ex­clamation of, What kill 'em in cold Blood? And harm­less Monmouth's (Oh horrid!) to it, be a rational Re­partee to a Chimera, or a Discourse only én Passant. No, no, the business is this; the Lord Russel is to die as Innocent as a Sucking Lamb, (for Child unborn's out of fashion;) and because the seizing of Guards was on­ly Sworn against him at the Meeting at Shepherds, to make the Witnesses Perjured, the Discourse of it at the other several Times and Places might be in order to the putting it into Execution, and what Treason ye please; but at that one onely Time, 'twas all harmless Prattle, and nothing but the Feasibleness of the Thing the matter in debate.

However, tho' the Innocent Lord lets us know, and all this with no less than the words of a dying Protestant, that the feasibility of the business was the only Argu­ment of the Guards seizing, in this 8th. Paragraph: In the 10th: Paragraph he gives a farther Narrative of this Meeting at Shepherd's; and there, as damnable ill fortune would have it, he relates so different an ac­count of the Thing, that Bedlow's and Prance's descripti­on of Sir Edmundbury's Murder, are little less contra­dictory, viz. he says in these words, The day before that Meeting, I came to Town for two or three days; and the Duke of Monmouth came to me, and told me, he was extreme glad I was come to Town, for my Lord Shaftsbury and some hot men would undo us all: How so, my Lord? I said, Why (answer'd he) they'll certainly do some disorderly thing or other, if some care be not taken; and therefore, for Gods sake use your endeavours with your Friends, to prevent any thing of this kind. He told me, there would be Company at Mr. Shepherd's that night, and desired me to be at home that evening, and he would call me, which he did; and when I came into the Room, I saw Mr. Rumsey sitting by the Chimney, tho' he swears he came in after; and there were things said by some with much more HEAT than JUDGMENT, which I did sufficiently disapprove, and yet for these things of stands condemned. But I thank God my para was sincere and will meant.

Here we find the fa [...]e of Affairs strangely alter'd; for now the Duke of Monmouth comes with an Out-cry, that my Lord Shaftsbury and other Hot men were for do­ing things so disorderly, as threaten'd no less than to un­do 'em all; and Shepherds being the place of assignation, my Lord Russel heard some things said there with more Heat than Judgment. Now that those things said must signifie the business of seizing the Guards, is plain, by my Lords owning it to be that for which he stoud condem­ned; and that the debate must be upon the down-right Resolution and Proposals of putting the project into a speedy Execution, is every way manifest; For, if the above-said harmless feasibleness of it were all that had been argued amongst them, there had been no need ei­ther of Monmouth's Allarum, the Lord Russel's Reproof, or the Companies Heat out-running their Judgments; nor was there any occasion for his thanking God that his part was sincere, and well meant, if theirs had been so too.

And that the Reader may not mistake, and think pos­sibly these two different Accounts of the Guards seizing might be at two different times, the Lord answers ex­presly, No; for be never was at Shepherd's in that Com­pany but once.

However, the Lord Russel still upholds his Innocence; and tells you in the last Paragraph, — It was inferred from hence, that I was acquainted with those Heats and ill Designs, and did not discover them; But that was but MISPRISION of Treason at most. I shall not an­swer for what pass'd at the Tryal, because 'tis not yet publish'd, nor was I present to hear it; and therefore I leave the dispute of that to the Judges learned in the Law, that were not of my Lord Russel's Opinion. But supposing my Lord would insinuate himself only guilty of Misprision of Treason from the proofs against him at the Tryal; yet by his own proofs against himself in this intended Vindication, he was recorded himself to all Po­sterity plainly guilty of High-Treason, in that very Pa­per where he arrogates the highest of Innocence. For suppose, as he affirms, that the proof of his being in a Company once at Mr. Shepherd's, where Treason was spoken, and the concealing it were only Misprision; Misprision being imagined to be a mans unfortunate hearing of Treason spoken in ill company, and after­wards the wanting of prudence or care to detect that Treason. Yet in his Paper, his Crime is of a deeper dye. He confesses there, He held Amity and Correspondence with persons that did not once or twice, but several times, treat upon the same numerical Treasonable Projection; He visited 'em at their own Houses, as Shaftsbury's for instance, and give 'em meetings abroad, And tho it be Misprision of Treason to conceal the hearing of it tho' a man abjures and avoids the company of the Tray­tor that speaks it; yet this Innocent Lord continues the highest friendship with these very Treason-mongers, herds and nests with them at all turns, and has the con­tinued Repetition of Treasonable Machinations in his [Page 3]ears and yet his want of discovery is and shall be only [...] bare Misprision of Treason. But the Noble Lord makes a very honest and charitable excuse for his silence in not discovering, viz. I hope no body will imagine that so mean a thought could enter into me, as to go about to save my life by accusing others. That is, my Lord could hear Shafts­bury and his Crew projecting to play the Cut-throats, & if no less than the Kings Guards and that too in cold blood, tho' indeed himself abhorr'd such a Popish pra­ctice, yet at the same time he affirms it a more Gentle­man like Quality to be true to Cut throats than Kings, to Treason than Loyalty, and hopes no man will ima­gine him capable of so mean a thought as to have disco­vered this Rand of Associating Murderers, tho' threaten­ing no less than the Murder of the Kings Guards, But my Lords is to be Innocent still, and must and shall be so; for alas, the seizing of the Kings Guards was no De­sign at all, God knows, upon the Kings Persons for in the next Paragraph he is very outragious to think how hard a Sentence be had; for he says, Nothing was sworn against him, but some discourses about making some STIRS, [a pretty Puritanical mincing word for a Na­tional Insurrection] which by no means he will allow to be levying War against the King. Besides, by a strange Fetch, the Design of seizing the Guards, was construed a Design of killing the King; and so I was cast. Good Hea­vens! that Ignoranous was our of fashion! and that a pack of Popish Tory Jury-men, should ever interpret a Combination for seizing the Guards of a King to be the least ill intention against the Person of Majesty. Nay, the dying Lord is so extravagantly possess'd not only with his own undoubted Innocence, but even of those very men too that with all this Hear and Fury so many several times machinated so Murderous and Treaso­nable a Design, that in the 13th Paragraph he wishes that the Gentlemen of the Law would make more conscience than to run men down by strains and fetches, and impose on easie and willing Juries, to the Ruine of Innocent men; for to kill by forms & subtilties of Law, is the worst sort of Murder. But I wish the rashness of hot men, & the partiality of Juries, may be stop'd with my Blood; which I would offer up with more joy, if I thought I should be the last were to suffer in such a way. In this 'tis plainly intimated, that his very Brethren in iniquity; those that not like himself dissented and disap­proved of seizing the Guards, but the very Promoters & Defenders of the Design, are all Innocent too; insomuch that 'tis his last Prayer, That their guiltless Blood may not be sacrificed like His, but himself may be the last of Martyrs in this Cause.

I protest I am so startl'd at the latitude of some mens consciences, and the extravagance of some mens self-justification, that I wonder what 'tis they will allow to be Treason, or whether or no they have not expunged all those Texts in their Bibles that teach Obedience to Kings as the Ordinance of God till at last they believe there is no such Duty in the whole Body of Christianity, and no such thing as Treason in Rerum Naturâ.

But to return to his Lordships Confession. Amongst those unanswerable Demonstrations of his Loyalty to the Crown, and love to the King, with the description of his miraculous Innocence, he gives you his sense of the present State of the Nation, and in the second Pa­ragraph he says, I wish with all my Soul all our unhappy differences were removed, and that all sincere Protestants would so far consider the danger of Popery, as to lay aside their Heats, and agree against the common Enemy. In that good wish I hope all good Protestants will joyn with him, provided his Ʋniting and Agreeing be honest, as I much suspect the contrary; For he goes on, and I says.

For Popery, I look on it as an Idolatrous and Bloody Re­ligion, and therefore thought my self [...] in my [...]ion to do all things against it. And by that, I foresaw I should procure such great [...] to my self and such [...] ones, that I have now been for some time expecting [...] And blessed be God I fall by the Ax, [...] not by! the [...] Tryal.

Here his Protestant Lordship [...] cunningly, but most venomously too makes his Death [...] Popish Conspiracy against him; and that from his fatal Zeal against Popery, he foresaw the great and powerful Ene­mies he should procure, and expected the very Fate be­fel him. And to explain himself was born on this Topick, paragr. the 7th. he says, that his earnestness against the Duke about the Bill of Exclusion; had no small instaence on his present Sufferings. And again par. the 5th! he says, I did believe, and do still, that Popery is breaking in upon the Nation, and those that will advance it, will stop at no­thing to carry on their Designs, I am heartily sory so ma­ny Protestants give their helping hand to it: But I hope God will preserve the Protestant Religion, and this Nation, tho' I am affraid it will fall under very great Trials, and very sharp Suffering.

Here we have his Lordships Scheme of the whole Na­tions Destruction, by the already All commanding power of Popery, and himself no less than one of the [...] ­Martyrs to it, only he thanks God he falls by the Ax, not the Faggot. And who is in this damnable new Popish Plot against the Lord Russels life, but that great and powerful Enemy the Duke of York; for his Bill of Ex­clusion earnestness, was the great influence in his Fall. And to effect this new Diabolical Popish Conspiracy, those that advance it, will stop at nothing to carry on their Designs; nay, the very Protestants have a hand in it, insomuch that he plainly insinuates that all those new Protestant Evidences against himself and the rest of the late Plotters; tho' men of Quality and Fortune, tho' men of their own Faction, are only so many Popish Tools engaged by Subornation and Perjury, from the great Popish Enemies of our Religion, to remove the great Zealots for the Protestant Religion, and cut the Throats of the Innocent, by no less than the most unex­ampled and most infernal of Perjuries.

Nay, the Root of all this premeditated Plot against their Protestant lives, lies not in the Witnesses and their Suborners only, but in the very Judges and Juries themselves. For he says in para. the 13th From the Time of choosing Sheriffs, I concluded the Heat in that mat­ter would produce something of this kind; And I am not much surprized to find it fall upon me. And I wish what is done to me, may put a stop and satiate some peoples Re­venge, and that no more Innocent Blood be shed.

Here 'tis observed, that not only the Justice of the Nation is impeached, but the wanting of the old Ig­noramus Sheriffs and Juries is an evident combination against the lives of Loyal, Innocent, and Protestant Sub­jects; nay tho' the kind Lord confesses that Shaftsbury himself, once acquitted by Ignoramus, with the rest of his Accomplices were really Guilty of Conspiring the seizing the Guards, and murdering 'em in cold Blood, and raising of Stirs alias Insurrections; yet the want of [Page 4]Sheriffs and Jurice to plead Ignoramus even to such au­dacious Conspiracies; is a bringing of Innocence and Loyalty to Scaffolds and Gibbers, a gratifying the insa­tiate Revenge of Popish Courtiers Conspiring for Guilt­less Blood, and [...]o less than making Popery rule the As­sendant of the whole Court and City.

By this Insinuation of such a Popish Confederacy, in­to the heads of the Ʋnwary and Ignorant Reader, and indeed the whole Babble of the Kingdom too easily [...]ed into such an Apprehension, the Zealous Lady [...] to lose no time in so good a Design, having set it to Printing a day before the Lord died; Here's a plain, perfect and visible Incentive to the Multitude, to Revenge the Death of this Innocent Lord, and rise up in Arms to prevent the growth of Popery, and the effusion of more Guiltless Blood still threatned. But truly the peaceable Lord in the 6th. paragraph, says, I forgive the whole World, particularly all those concerned in taking away my Life: and I desire and conjure my Friends to think of no Revenge, but to submit to the Holy will of God, &c. Here indeed the good Lord desires no Revenge, but at the same breath he intimates that his Blood calls for it, only his forgiving Charity forbids it. But this is so transparent a Mask, that half an eye may see through it, and this seeming Christian like Dehortation of the peo­ple from Rebellion, is but adding a new provocation to 'em to begin it, whilst the generosity and goodness of this Murdered Lord, as he calls himself, is but setting a higher price on his Blood: Thus after so many false colours on his own Integrity, and appealing to God he had as Passion, by end, or ill Design in him. Tho' at the same time he tells you both his Comrades and their Character and his own privity to their abominable Practices the Projections; he publishes that false inflaming Narratives his own pretended Innocence, that is not to be ma [...] by any thing but the Speech of the Noble Peer, and [...] serves the same Fate.

Thus every Design against the Peace of the Nation and all Plots and Machinations whatever against t [...] King and Government, tho' never so plainly made o [...] or by more substantial Evidence, are to be instantly [...] ­ned into Popish Perjury and Subornation: And Guilt whatever can or shall lie at any door but the P [...] & Jesuits; whilst the Execution of this Lord, is to be [...] no other a Tool than the Kings intended Assassi [...] ­tion, viz. a Popish Combination and a Popish Blow. [...] yet see the wretchedness of the Project, in all this v [...] ­mence for Innocent Protestant Blood, I defy any [...] partial Reader to look o're but this short Paper of my Lord Russels, and to tell me there is not 100 times worse matter discuss'd and bandyed by the Lord Shaft [...] ­bury and his Colleagues even in my Lord Russels single Sheet of Paper, and all for the proving a Plot against the Kings Life and the Government, than in all Cole­man's voluminous Letters, the great and almost only Gorgon of Popery.

I shall only finish with my true and cordial sence o [...] the publication of that Paper, that 'tis a much greate [...] Dishonour to the Noble Family of that Great Man, that the Scaffold he died upon.