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 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 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.