The PLOT in IRELAND.

BUt here let us take our leave a while of the Rebellions, Assassinations, Massacres, and Fireworks in little old En land, and see how the Posture of Affairs stands in Ireland, for the doing of which we can have no greater Light, than from the Tryal of Oliver Plunket late Titular Arch Bishop of Ireland, where indeed we find the whole Irish Plot so to admiration made out, that even Infidelity it self must tremble at such undeniable Proofs, and unanswerable Demonstrations: and to the Confusion of Rome, all this undoubted Truth delivered by Oracles, sworn home by no less then the very Oaths of Members even of the Popish Clergy it self.

The whole summ of which Conspiracy is as follows,

Oliver Plunket was made I rimate of Ireland, by the Election of the King of France, and upon his Election he made those Conditions with the King of France,Tryal p. 84. to raise Men to joyn with the French to destroy the Protestant Religion, the said Plunket having En­gaged to get Dublin, London-Derry, and all the Sea Ports into their own hands, to Levy War and Destroy the Protestant Religion, (a Vast undertaking for a Titular Bi­shop to go thorough with) and that they should have the King of France to protect them during Life; Tryal p. 84 as Mac Leigh swears. Upon this Contract we have Plunket keep­ing touch with his promise, and undertaking to raise 60 or 70000 Irish to be rea­dy to Joyn with the French, as Duffy and Murfey the two main Witnesses attest, the said Plunket having taxed the Irish Clergy several Summs of Money, for the carrying on of this War, and maintenance of this vast Body of Men, viz some of them 10 some 20 nay some 40.s. p annum, (a wonderful Summ for so Vast a Design) and himself pitch't upon Carlingford Haven for the French's Landing. This Design it seems after some Years collecting for, and preparation towards it, grew so ripe, that as Mr. O Neale swears, he heard Bishop Terril in August 78. in the head of 40 Horse alighting at Vicar General Brady's Door, give those 40 odd Horsemen an Oath which they took willingly from hand to hand, to forward the Plot against the Protestant R ligion, and to make an end of them all in one hour from End to End of Ireland, and said he, I will come within two days with an Order from the Lord Oliver Plunket, and you ne [...]d not be afraid, for the Lord Oliver Plunket and I, have sent some Gold and M [...]n [...]y into France to get Men, and bring them from France over Sea, and do not [Page 9]fear this will go on in one hour through all Ireland, from End to End. (Tho by his good leave I should have much doubted, whether the French Men could have kept pace with these nimble Irish Men; for Landing all at Carlingford Haven, 'tis much to be feared, they would have made it above Two Hours work, in running through all Ireland.

This Plot was carried on so far, that (as Mr. Wyer attests) it was to have tak­en Effect,Tryal p. 72. and the Invasion to have been made in 79. a Year after the Discovery of the Plot in England, he himself affirming, that since Plunket was taken he saw in the time of Plunkets Imprisonment his Commands to his under dignitaries, not to be for­getful of the Moneys, that were assessed towards the supplying the French Army, and that there was no better time to bring in the French, than when he was in Prison.

And for sure Work Mr. Duffey attests, that this Invasion was not only to be made by a French Army, but by a Spanish Army too, that was to land with them.Tryal p. 77. For Duffey heard Plunket at a Consult, and giving Special Order for some of them to get a List of all the Officers that lost their Estates, and that they should be more for­wards than they to proceed in that Wicked Design, to destroy all the Protestants together, which was expresly to be done by an Army, of Irish, Spanish, and French together, Plunket at the same time encouraging every one that could dispose of Money to provide some for those Gentlemen, that would soon come over into Ireland, viz. the French Ar­my and Spanish Army together. Duffy having likewise, besides the sight of several Orders for to raise Money, seen a Letter from Plunket when he lay in Jail signi­fying, that that was the only time for bringing the matter to an end, and that the French and Spanish Kings should take the Advantage, that now was Offered whilst he was in Prison.

In all this Irish Plot we have a Model of State Affairs extremely different from those in the English Plot. As first for example, we find the French King not half so Generous in Carrying on the Catholick Cause in Ireland, as in England. In Eng­land he was to Lend the Conspirators an Army gratis, and help them to make a Conquest for themselves, whilst the Vanquisht Crown and Government was to have been disposed of as Bellasis, Petres and Arundel, and the rest of the Victorious En­glish Generals thought fit. But in Ireland he plainly sets up for himself, and poor­ly and mercinarily sides with the 60 or 700000 Irish Champions, to conquer and possess their Kingdom, nay, he is so wretchedly ignoble, that he robs the very Spittle, and suffers the poor beggarly Vermin the Irish Clergy, that were not able altogether to buy Horse and Arms for 20 Men, not only to be taxt for the main­tenance of their own 70000 Irish, but likewise to send over Money and Gold, even to the Mighty King of France, towards the bringing his Army over Sea.

Secondly, we find the Irish not half so valiant, and resolved in carrying on their Heretick Massacre, as the more Heroick English Catholicks in theirs. For the En­glish (as we have read before) upon the going off of Pickerings Gun in March 77. were prepared for a Massacre, and that too when one Man was to Kill near a brace of Hundreds for his share; But the poor Spirited Irish in the other Extreme, where the Popish Party are 50 times more numerous than in England, with an Army of no less then 70000 Conspirators all ready for the stroke, are cowardly distrusting so vast a Strength, and Calling in French and Spanish Armies to their Assistance, though to the inevitable Enslaving themselves and their Posterity, to so known a Tyrant as the King of France. The Foresight of which Slavery was the reason that Duffy Discovered the Plot, telling us he had been in 77. almost a year in France, and seeing there how the poor People are brought in such Slavery by the French,Tryal p. 79. he thought of it, and had rather the Devil should reign over them than the Frenchman.

Thirdly, we have here the most unpolitick, and most sensless conduct in the Spa­niard, that the Chronicles in all Ages can never parallel: viz. We have the King of Spain (if there can be such an Animal of a Monarch in Nature) at the very mo­ment, that he's courting the Alliance of almost all Christendom to assist him against the French, having lost so great a part of Flanders to him, and being so much in danger of loosing the rest of it, is notwithstanding Lending this very French King an Army to help him subdue Ireland, and inlarge the Conquests of his most Potent and most Formidable Enemy.

[Page 10]Well: But that Miracles are not ceast in the Romish Church, this would appear most Monstrously strange. However for this, and the rest of the Extravagancies in the Plot, we have all along Substantial Oaths, and therefore are bound in Con­science to believe. Tho let me tell you, for a belief in this case with his Spanish Majesties pardon, we must lead our Imagination so far as to lodge the very Soul of a Changeling in the Breast of a King. For a Soul of Gods Common handy Work, could never be so void of Common Sense.

But, alas! this Blockhead of a Spaniard (con licenza Signior: For I vow I can­not forbear calling him so) is not only Blundering this once, and Committing this one enormous piece of Stupidity: But the English Plot, and his Affairs there, are of the same Leven with the Irish Conspiracy. For this very King, had not only this Army ready to Land at Carlingford Haven, but another of 30000 Jago Pil­grims to Land at Milford Haven, and 10000 Flandrians likewise to be Landed at Bradlington Bay, and all this at a time when he had so many Irons in the Fire, and his hands so full to secure his own Dominions, and so hard a tug at home to pre­serve himself; and yet he has no less then Three spare Armies, of at least half a Hundred Thousand strong to send out abroad. What in the name of Dulness should make this Prince court the English Arms to relieve Mans for him, when he had no less then Three such Powerful Armies, and all lying idle by him, that (one would have thought) might have saved him that trouble. Well but that there is a Plot, and has been a Plot. Otherwise Mankind had been left in the Dark, and not one quarter of all these Apocrypha's had ever been Canonical.

But as ridiculous as the Plot-craft has hitherto been, we have not only the Jesu­its, and the Spanish King playing the Fools or Madmen, but even the High and Mighty King of France, under the same premunire: for Example, was ever a Sol­dier of his Martial Cunning, so Egregiously out of his Royal Senses, and all the Rules of Conduct, as First to Attempt the bringing a Navy into that very Port of all Ireland, so notoriously known to Carry scarce water enough for a Fisher-boat, much less a Man of War to ride in.

And secondly, to conduct his Navy so far about, to the very North part of Ireland, not only through all the dangerous Irish Seas; but also in the Face of all the Irish Ports, and Consequently through the Mouthes of all the Kings Men of War, that lye in the way, and by so long and hazardous a Voyage (especially af­ter the Discovery of the Popish Plot) to give the Three Kingdoms sufficient Alarm to prepare for their Opposition.

Besides all these Gross unpardonable Faults, we have one yet more heinous piece of Lunacy, then Story ever match't. This Foolish French King, is at the Charge and Trouble of manning out a Fleet to land an Army in Ireland, when to the E­ternal Shame of all ill Memories, both He and all his Statesmen had quite and clean forgotten they had Landed one there already, for does not the Infallible Dr. Oates give us to know, in his Examination before the Parliament, in these very words: That the French King had already Landed a great Army in Ireland, being those Forces that left Messina, and it is to make them up 25000 which are to Joyn with the Irish Papists, in a second Massacre to Fire the City of Dublin, and destroy the Duke of Or­mond, and his adherents, and this part of the Conspiracy was Managed by Coleman, &c

N [...]w what the Devil could make so subtle a Monarch, so strangely Overseen as. so abominably to expose a Navy, and a new Army to all the foremention'd ha­zards, when he had one so much better for his turn there already, an Army too of so vast a Number as 25000, and all Disciplined Soldiers, being the very For­ces that left Messina: nay, and to out-do all yet, an Army even Miraculously Di­sposed for the Eruption of a Massacre, an Army that had out gone, ev'n Bays his Knights-bridge Expedition, having Landed, March'd and Encamped Invisible being a kind of such Heterogoneus Animals, that from that day to this, they had never been Seen, Felt, Heard or Understood. But to excuse the French King and the rest of his Privy-Counsellors, his Armies are so numerous, that possibly a poor handful of 25000 might not be mist amongst them, otherwise if he had remem­bred any thing of these 25000 being Landed before, a Force of that Strength, as our Salamanca Oracle tells us were to Fire Dublin, and Destroy the Duke of Or­mond [Page 11]and the Protestants his adherents, this last Navy and Army, I fancy were to come like Esop in the reer of his Fellow Servan [...]s, to do just Nothing, because the former had done all things before. Thus were see what humane policies are: Hamanum est errare, and not only the lesser Plotters the Jesuits, but the Imperial Plotters too, even Monarchs themselves may once in their Lives be overtaken.

Now 'twill not be amiss for our Farther Light into this Conspiracy, to search the Mine from whence the Treasure comes to defray the charges expended, and to be expended, to support so vast a Body of Cut-throats. And here upon due Exa­mination of matter of Fact, for the Carrying on of this fly Plot, we shall meet not only great Heads all along, but great Purses too Employed to Encourage the Laborers and Undertakers in this Sacred Cause, insomuch that wherever the Assu­rance of St. Ship and Canonizations, and the brightest Crowns of Paradice for their Reward, was not of it self alone a sufficient Spur to their Vigorous Endeavours; when the slow Pav of Heaven hereafter was thought a Bribe too little, the Jesuits never wanted ready Money to make up the Summ. Neither do we ever find them unfurnisht, where or whenever those Golden Tempters were necessary. But here as in the rest of their Affairs we meet with little else then the Highest Extravagance. For in Distribution of their favors to the great Pillars of their Cause, we find such Inequality and Partiality throughout, as to their Eternal disgrace will never be for­gotten. For Example; what more unconscionable disproportion could there be be­tween the 15000. l. contracted for, and no less then 10000 l. bid at first word to Sir George Wak [...]man to povson the King, and but that inconsiderable trifle of 80 pounds given to the Four Irish Ruffians, when most of them were Gentlemen of as great or greater Quality and Fortune then Sir George, and the whole summ of 80. l. no more than either of them would not have valued spending in a Week, nay and when more and above, Sir George Wakemans undertaking had not the tenth part of their Dangers attending it, his business being only the Legerdemain of slipping a Pill extraordinary into the Kings Broth or so, and Theirs to Assassinate him in the Face of open Day.

Or could their be a greater Affront to Persons of their Quality, to know that honest William, alias John Grove a poor retainer to the Jesuits, should have Fifteen Hundred pounds reward for his King Killing Work, and all those Four Gentlemen to­gether, have but one Twentieth part of the Summ for the same Service. This In­dignity no doubt the Jesu [...]ts were sensible of, but possibly knowing them to be civil and well bred Gentlemen, they trusted to their Generosity to forgive it.

But how close fisted so ever the Jesuits were in the pitiful Reward of Twenty Pound a Man, to Persons of their Rank and Character for Killing the King. Yet not long after, their bounteous Liberality was something more open-handed, when they offer'd William Bedloe, alias, B [...]dhoe, originally the Son of a Cobler,Lords Journ. Mar. the 1278 and at pre­sent a Runner of Errands, no less then the summ of 4000. l. to hire him to Kill Sir Edmond Bury Godfrey, and that too, when himself was but to be one of the Four or Six that were to do it, witness his Oath before the House of Lords. William Bedloe saith on his Oath, that this Examinant being treated with by Mr. Lephaire, and Mr. Walsh Jesuits about the beginning of October last, they offer'd him a Reward of 4000. l. if he would be one of the Four or Six that should Kill a Man, that was a great Obstacle to their Designs, [viz. Sir Edmond-Bury Godfrey, as it proved afterwards] (a very round summ together, if the other Five were to be as well paid) But here the Reader is desired to take notice, of the most matchless Example of self Denial in Mr. Bedloe, that pe [...]haps they have met with, and the vast and wonderful Diffe­rence of some Mens Consciences. Those very Gentlemen to whom 500. l. was less in their Pockets, then five pound in Mr. Bedloe's could notwithstanding bite at 20 l. a Man, to Murder no less than a King; when on the contrary Mr. Bedloe refused 4000. l. to Murder but a poor Justice of the Peace. For as we have it in his afore­said Oath before the House of Lords. Thus following, he this Deponent promis'd [viz. to Lephaire and Walsh] to be one to do it upon their giving him notice; afterwards viz. (the Fryday before Sir Edmond Bury was missing) Mr. Lephaire met him this De­ponent, about Four a Clock in Grays-Inn-Walks, and appointed to meet him again the next day, at the same place about the same Hour to do that Business: that upon his tak­ing [Page 12]the Sacrament to do it, he this Deponent should have the Money paid down; but he not liking the Design faild of meeting him &c. Is not this (as I said before) a won­derful piece of self denial, but as wonderful as 'tis here's the fellow on't to come.

After Sir Edmondbury was murdered, this Deponent meets Lephaire again, and is show'd Godfreys dead Body, and upon the spot is offer'd half the aforesa [...]d 4000. l. to be but only one of the Five or Six, ibid Jur. 12 N that should carry the body to a place where they had Chose to lay him. To which he seemingly agreed, but begging their pardon for half an hour, telling them he'd wait on them again, he went away and came no more; and being charged next day for not coming according to promise, Mr. Bedloe gave this Powerful Reason for his Absence: viz. he was unwilling to come because he knew the Person that was Kill'd. A very cogent Reason indeed. But to heighten the Miracle of Mr. Bedloes refusing 4000. l. for a M [...]rder; and 2000. l. for a Porteridge, the least of them (one would think) a very attractive summ; the Reader is to Consider, that Mr. Bedloe at that very time was none of the squeamishest or nicest conscienc't Men, being all along not only privy to all the Popish Designs, the Landing of 20 or 30000 Jago Pilgrims at Milford Haven, 10000 Flandrians at Hull, besides the other Ar­mies to be rais'd in England, the Commissions given out, and himself to be a Com­mission Officer, and consequently to be engaged in all the Protestant blood-shed intended (the Kings only excepted) and that this Man should all of a sudden stag­ger, at one poor Hereticks dispatch, tho for 4000. l. reward, or if that would not down to refuse 2000 l. and all but for the 6th part of the Luggage of one poor Car­case, but to Primrose-hill, is not (take it all together) a little stupendious.

But having enter'd into so sad and deplorable a Story, as the Murder of that un­fortunate Gentleman, nothing methinks can strike a greater Impression on all tender Hearts, than the Barbarous Circumstances and Methods, used by his Inhumane But­chers for his Destruction. Mr. Bedloe (for Example) in his former Examination before the House of Lords Nov. 12th. has him trappan'd into Sommerset-house in this manner. Lephaire, Walsh, and my Lord Bellasis Gentleman, meeting Sir Edmond­bury about Five of the Clock by the Kings-head-Inn in the Strand, and pretending to bring him to a place near St. Clements Church, where they would show him a great Company of the Principal Plotters against the King, and Surprize both them and the Principal of their Papers, they walkt on till they came at Sommerset-house great Gate, and there made a Halt, desiring him to walk in, and take a turn or two with two of them, till the Third went and got a Constable: here after they had took a turn or two, two more Persons came out, and shoved him into a Room; and when they had him secure; They held a Pistol to his Breast, threatning to shoot him if he made any noise, but if he answered their Expectations, they would not hurt him, then asking him to send for the Ex­aminatious, he had taken about those that were Committed, he told them 'twas not in his Power, for he had sent them to Whitehall; upon that, and his refusing to answer other Questions they seiz'd him, and stifled him with a Pillow, and so they thought he had been dead, but coming into the Room some time after, they found him struggling; and then they strangled him with a long Cravat. Thus in ample form from the Records of Mr. Bedloe, have we the true History of this poor Gentlemans untimely Fate.

But now after this Barbarous manner of Trappanning him, and then Killing him stone dead, one would imagine we were come to the last Act of the Tragedy. But truly no; there's as bad or worse behind still, For the kind Mr. Práce upon his fur­ther discovery, has more Bloody Scenes of it to come yet. Upon his Oath before the King and Council, and afterwards confirmed before the House of Lords he says, that Hill,Lords Journ. jur. Dec. 24 78 Green, and Gerald, after a Week or Fortnights dogging Sir Edmond-bury Godfrey, they watcht him at last passing from St. Clements, till he came to the Water­gate at Sommerset-house, about Nine at Night, where Hill making some hast before stept within the Wicket, which was open, and turning soon again called to Sir Edmond as he was passing, and said there was two Men quarrelling within, who might soon be quieted if once they saw him, whereupon he entered through the Wicket, and after him Green and Gerald, and down all went till they came to a Bench, that is at the bottom of the deep descent, and joyning to a rail next to the upper end of the Stables on the right hand, and that upon the said Bench, there was Sitting and Attending their coming the said Examinant Miles Prance and Berry the Porter of the other Gate, with an Irishman whose [Page 13]name he knows not, and by that time they were come half way down. Berry and Prance rose up from the Bench, and one went up to the Wicket, and the other to the Stone steps going up to the great Court, to give notice if any came to disturb them, and so when Sir Edmond was got to the Bench, Green who followed him whipt about his Neck a large twisted Handker­chief, and thereupon they all assisted, and dragged him into a Corner, and twisted his Neck till they broke it, one of them Thumping him on the Breast to make sure work on't; and all this without one Syllable of a Pistol or Pillow, or any Questions ask't him, or the least dispute about sending for Depositions, Papers or any thing like it.

Here we may observe how strangely the Devil helps his Servants: Hill Green and Gerald, had dogg'd Sir Edmond-bury Godfrey to the Watergate at Sommerset-house, where neither of them stirring from him, to give notice of their coming, only Hill just leav­ing them to step into the Watergate, and out again, with the Story of that sham quar­rel: yet Berry Prance and the Irishman, are sitting on the Bench by the Stables, and attending their coming, having the Knowledge no doubt from some Infernal Intelli­gence, not only that Hill Green and Gerald, were at that time following Sir Edmond from St. Clements, and that Sir Edmond would take the Watergate in his Walk, but also that upon the Story of a Quarrel within the Queens Pallace, Sir Edmond would Officiously thrust himself where he had nothing to do, and all to part a Fray, only with the Face of a Justice of Peace, at Nine a Clock in a Winters Night, and that upon that very spot of ground within sight of a Centry, who had Ten times more Authority and Power to do it then he.

But to proceed with the Villany of these Popish Assassinates, that very Night he was convey'd out from Sommerset-house, Mr. Lephaire courts Mr. Bedloe with 2000. l. to be one with himself, Mr. Walsh my Lord Bellasis Gentleman and Mr. Atkins, Mr. Pep­pys Clerk, to help convey him out, Lords Journ. jurat 12 N. 78 and the next minute Mr. Bedloe is showed the Body of Sir Edmond, and the aforesaid Persons all there, and all ready and agreed to do it, but Mr. Bedloe disliking the Imployment, leaves them by an excuse, and the next day is chid for not keeping his last Nights promise of returning and assisting them.

But Mr. Prance does not finish here but finds new matter, and new Nights work still; for he does not only all along leave the Body in the Custody of his own Crew of Murderers Green, Berry, Hill &c. but after many a Removal of it upstairs and down­stairs, from Room to Room, tost as I may say from Pillar to Post, the aforesaid Green, Berry, Hill, with Kelly, Gerald, himself, and one Irishman more, were the very nume­rical Persons that carried him to Primrose-Hill.

In all this admirable Variety mark how pat it falls out: as Sir Edmond-bury was found with those Two fold marks of Assassination about him, viz. both Strangled and Run Through; so likewise 'tis observable, that Two-fold was the way of Trappanning him, Two-fold the Fatal place, and Two-fold his Murder (oh how insatiate is the Po­pish Revenge, that One Death could not suffice) and even to the very last, no less then a Double set of Night-walkers are employed, for the Expedition to Primrose-Hill.

I shall insist no farther, either upon the Cruelty or Strangeness of this Assassination, and the Appurtenances thereunto belonging, only to reconcile all doubts, that these seeming Extremes, or what else you please to call them, may not grate the Gentle Reader, let him but inquire farther, and hee'l soon learn, that by that time those three Murderers, Green Berry and Hill were apprehended, and Tryed for the Fact, all Diffi­culties were removed; and all Differences adjusted; whilst like East and West as (they say) differ but in a point, or like Virtue placed between two Vices, the Golden Mean was at last found out, and the aforesaid three Blood thirsters, received the condign re­ward of so outragious a Crime. And I heartily wish, that all the yet undiscovered Aid­ers, Abettors, or Actors in that Murder had their as just, or more just Reward.

Fiat Lux.

But to return to our Plot History, and the Conduct of those Eternal Blunderers the Jesuits, one most remarkable Observation is, that in all those Numerous Letters and Pacquets seen and read by Dr. Oats, delivered at Valladolid, St. Omers &c. or elsewhere beyond Sea or received from thence, tho they contain'd no less then the whole summ of all their Consults in England or elsewhere, and all the several Proposals and Methods for Regicides, Massacres, Assassinations, and all the rest of their Villanies whatsoe­ver; The Jesuits in all their politicks, were such stupid inconsiderate Fools, as to Ven­ture [Page 14]the bringing and carrying of all those dangerous Papers from, and to all parts whatever, with the contents (excepting one or two in Latin or Spanish) in plain down­right English words at length, only now and then intermixing such an inconsiderable Cypher, as 48 for the King, 66 for London, or Barly-broth for the Parliament: insomuch that the most dangerous Letter Mr. Oats ever broke open, without the least trouble of a Key, or the opposition of Figures or Characters he read Ex tempore. Nay Mr. Dug­dale in the 5 Jesuits Tryal p. 25, & 26. intercepted no less then a 100 Letters, expresly upon Oath directed to other Men, all containing Treason in them for Killing the King, and Introducing of Popery, and all too in plain English without any Cypher at all; and those Letters more and above too sent by the Common post.Jurat. before the H [...]use of Lords De. 3 78 Besides honest Bedloe's the greatest Plot Messenger of them all, swears he never carried one Letter or Pacquet, that he did not break open and read.

And now methinks in so subtle and hazardous an Enterprize, never were such egre­gious Oversights committed by Men of the Jesuits Brains, as to venture such notorious Treasons so nakedly drest, to all Accidents that might occur; when Coleman, who had not one Syllable either of Killing the King, Firing of London, Massacres in England, Scotland, and Ireland; Jago Pilgrims, French Armies; Popish Ruffians, Black Bills, Pistols, Ponyards or Poysons, not only writ but received all his Papers in Cyphers, nay a great many of them too from those very Jesuits beyond Sea, whose hand-writing with a 100 times more dangerous contents in it, Oats, Bedloe, and Dugdale dayly saw and read, without the least veil of Cypher Character or Disguise whatever: when the intercep­ting of but one of all those innumerable Pacquets, by any Protestant hand, had cer­tainly destroy'd the whole Fabrick of the Plot, and laid both the Papists and their Cause in unavoidable Ruin. Good Heavens, that a Cabal of such prodigious Undertakers, should most of them be Men of such Infinite Learning, and yet to so little purpose.

But alas, the Jesuits were those hardy Desperado's, that they writ Treason, and posted it about at random, without either Fear or Wit: insomuch that Dugdale after in­tercepting, and breaking open so many of their Plot Letters, swears he kept those he could not handsomely Seal again, Corkers Tryal p. 9th. and yet not one Man of the Conspirators ever com­plained of the Miscarriage, or made the least Uproar, though for the loss of Recorded Treason in grain. Besides, as ill luck would have it, Mr. Dugdale could never find the place where he laid them, nor produce but one of them so kept, tho for the saving the credit of his Colly Flower'd Face, and preventing his Evidential Carbuncles, from be­ing brought in for the ratification of his whole Discovery.

Nay the Jesuits were that confident pack of Treason mongers, that they durst Preach it even to School-boys; whilst they had every day in the Week several Places, where Blundel taught the Youth of London, Treasonable and Mutinous Doctrines against the In­terest and Person of His Sacred Majesty, and gave certain Summs of Money to their Parents (if poor) to encourage them to send their Children to be thus Instructed. And all these Chil­dren (it seems) so grown up as to understand Morals as well as Letters,Nar. par. XIV and yet not one of them from that day to this, so unlucky as to tell Tales out of the School.

I have one piece of Conduct more in these Everlasting Noddies the Jesuits, and that too likewise in the case of Coleman, which certainly is one of the Idlest Whims of Poli­cy, that ever Stupidity in the Name of Non-sence could have contriv'd. We find this Machiavel Coleman, in the greatest part of all his Papers corresponding and treating with the Forreign Jesuits, and all the greatest Plotters abroad all about Proroguing and Dissolving of Parliaments, sometimes pushing on the project of a Toleration, and o­therwhiles laboring for their Proroguations upon their every least motion in disfavor of the Roman Catholicks. And that this was the Design in the very Year 78, we have the Testimony of that Gentleman Evidence Mr. Robert Jennison for it, who in the first page of his Narrative saith, that about the beginning of the Year 1678. he hath heard Mr. Ireland and Mr. Jennison both Jesuits, discourse of a Design by the Roman Catho­licks to obtain a Liberty, or a Toleration for the open Profession of their Religion here in England. And the way he then heard them speak of, was by collecting a round summ of Money among their party, and by bribing the greatest part of the then Parliament. Now considering at the writing of Colemans Letters, and all the time of his Forreign Correspondency, nay and as long before, as since the very Firing of London, not only the Sword (as the Plot Discoverers tell you) was every day almost at the Kings Heart, [Page 15]and all the Protestants Throats, and Coleman himself a Person so deep in the mire, that as the Dr. Swears not only the Firing of Dublin, the Duke of Ormonds. Murder and the Irish Massacre was managed by him, but himself too was the Pay-master of the Four Irish Ruffians, and in fine engaged through the whole Plot. Now considering I say all this, and that tis plain, what with the Murder of the King, and Massacring the Prote­stants, whether by French Armies, Pilgrim Armies or Black Bills, Popery was manifest­ly to come in by nothing, but open Hostility and downright Conquest: What the Devil was in the Fools heads of so many of the greatest Roman Conspirators, to be thus sence­lesly day after day at the ridiculous trouble of so inconsiderable an Under-Plot, as poor­ly picqueering at the silly Sessions or motions of a Parliament, when upon murdring the King, and Subjecting the whole Nation by the Sword, not only the Parliament had been Dissolved, nay and a Members Brains possibly as easily knockt out as a Plow-job­bers; but more than all this, upon the Papal Empires entring by Conquest, they might have put an end to the very Constitution and Being of Parliaments.

Why all that Cost and Labor then, and so much wast Paper in Figures and Chara­cters, and ready Money too for Parliament bribing, and all to do just nothing, if at the same moment they had so much a vaster Machine at work to accomplish even their ut­most Wishes without it. Well but as whimsical as all these Affairs appear, as I told you all along, the Jesuits were Infatuated, and through the whole Labyrinth of this Con­spiracy, no Man can better solve the Phaenomena's he meets, then by saying in short they all hang together by Geometry.

Now after all these Fantastick, and almost incredible Proceedings of the Jesuits through their whole Plot, some People perhaps may object and say, that such under­lings as Bedlow, Dugdale, Oats &c. whose chief business was but running of Errands, and themselves but a sort of Goers between to the other greater Plotters, might possibly be not fully entrusted with the whole Plot, and therefore by picking up of but scraps and hearsays of it, that might probably be the Occasion of many Stumbles Contradi­ctions and Mistakes in their Discovery.

But to refute that feeble objection, we have the very worst of them at every turn Hail Fellow at all Consults with their Lords and Masters; nay besides the Letters bro­ken open by Mr. Oats scarce one of them all, that ever he carried that was not shewed him, Mr. Dugdal likewise opend all that came down to his Masters in the Country; and Mr. Bedloe broke open all his. Nay for a farther Confirmation of their great trust, they had Access to Persons even of the highest Degree. Mr. Oats for instance, had that pri­viledge in the Pallaces of Princes, that he peep't through at least three Key-holes, in as many several Doors to see the Duke at Mass in a corner of his Closet. But little Mr. Bedloe had the greatest Honor imaginable viz. to be by when the Queen was snubbed for not consenting to the Kings Murder. I marry was he, and all this Honor too was done to Bedloe a fellow proved at the Five Jesuits Tryal, to have been a Prisoner in the Marshalsea in May 78. and so poor, as to Live on the Basket; tho by the bye, the Jesuits were a little foolish here too as well as in the rest of their Affairs,p. 76. to let a Person so long privy to their Designs, that Consequently had their Lives at his Mercy, ly in a Goal, and in so much Necessity as to be next door to starving; considering too they had been such kind Masters to him, that at Pickerings Tryal, Bedloe's Junior swears he had re­ceived 50 or 3 score pounds a time from them; and not many Months after, he had no less than the proffer of 4000 l. from them at one clap but for one job of Work: How­ever (as we have before proved) if no greatness of Quality was too high Company for these Discoverers, and no secret concealed from them, there cannot be the least shadow for any such objection, and all their respective Testimony must be given in their full and perfect knowledg of the whole Intrigue.

Nay that was unlikely the Dr. should erre through any of his Affidavits, through that vulgar frailty Forgetfulness, we have him a Person of that prodigious Memory, that through his whole Examination before Sir Edmond-bury Godfrey in LXXXI Para­graphs, the whole Subject of above Fifty of 'em is the contents of Pacquets, and in­numerable Letters too and fro from the Jesuits from all parts, and almost all of them (excepting two or three of them broken open by himself) read only in other Mens hands; yet I say we have him so compleat a Remembrancer, as besides the wonderful variety contained in them, to give us their express date of the day of the Month, even [Page 16]to the nice distinction of Stylo novo & Stylo Vetere: A tast of which unexampled Memo­ry I'le instance in paragr. LXXII where he says as follows.

Item this Deponent saith, that the Pope hath issued out a Bull, a Copy of which Mr. Blundel showed this Deponent on the 30th of August, in which the Pope was pleas'd to Order and Dispose of the Bishopricks in England, and other Dignities of the same as follows

CANTERBƲRY.

Cardinal Howard, with an Addition of 40000 Crowns per annum, for maintaining a Legantine Power and Authority.

YORK.

Perrot, Superior to the Secular Priests, who hath power of probate of Wills Licences for Marriages, and all Episcopal Jurisdiction except Ordination and Confirmation, &c.

In this manner, the Dr. goes on with Bishops and Abbots to the number of about 30, without forgetting one single Name or the Latitude of their Jurisdictions; with a fur­ther account, by whom the lesser Dignities of the Church were to be managed &c. And all this ad unguem from only the sight of the Copy of a Bull showed him by Blundel.

But lastly, to draw towards a Conclusion, for his last Entertainment, I shall give my Reader the most profound piece of the whole Diabolical Plot.

The Dr. you must understand, and his Epistle to the Reader in his Narrative tells you as much, made the Discovery of the Plot to His Majesty on the 13th of August 78. by the Means and Introduction of that Worthy and Honest Gentleman Mr. Christopher Kirby. And mark ye, after that very 13th. of August 24 of his 81 Paragraphs of his Narra­tive are the business of the Plot, still carrying on to September the 7 following, from p. 37 to p. 57. In which last part of his Narrative (and all after his Discovery to the King) we have the greatest Transactions and Consults of the whole Conspiracy. Particularly that very 13th of August,Nar. par. LV. II. at 6 at Night was the Dr. not designedly, but by accident at a Ser­mon Preached by John Keins, to 12 Men poor in habit yet Men of Quality, as the Deponents supposes, by their white hands, in which Sermon was delivered, that Protestants and other He­retick Princes were ipso facto deposed, because such, and that it was as Lawful to destroy them as an Oliver Cromwel, or any other Ʋsurper. August 18. the Dr. was at a Consult, where Mr. Vincent,Nar. par. IXI Joseph David Keymash, Mr. Dominick, Mr. Collins, Mr. Fedding, Mr. Mansell, and Mr. Laumsdale all Dominicans, met and consulted with John Keins, Father Hartcourt, Father Fenwick, Father Wright, Father Blundel Jesuits, about Killing the King and Carrying on the Design; at which Consult Oats was present too and fro, and after­wards employed by them to carry the Proposals of the Consult to the Carmelites, viz. Dr. Han­son, Mr. Kimbal and Mr. Trevers,par. LXIII. &c. On Wednesday the 21 of August. was another Consult held by the Jesuits and Benedictines about the Irish Affairs, and a 3d Consult at Mrs. Saunders-house, of which the Dr. had notice before the meeting of it by John Grove. Nay the Irish Ruffians were all Hired and sent down to Windsor, not till after the 13 of Au­gust,Par. LXVII. and the Dr. by at the telling out and sending the 80 l. after them, expresly the 22d of August. Besides Conyers and Anderson too were not engaged in the Kings Murder till now; for Conyers on the very same 22d of August showed the Dr. his Dagger of a Foot long in the Blade, spick and span new bought of the old Cutler in Russel-street, and the same 22d day does the Dr. meet Mr. Blundel, with a Bag of Fire-balls under his arm: and the 30th fol­lowing is showed by the said Blundel at Fenwicks Chamber (being invited thither to see it) a Paper Sign'd by Whitebread in the name of the whole Society, containing a Scheme of the manner of Firing of Westminster, Tooly-street, St. Thomas Apostle and the Kings Ships at Wapping.

Besides we have the Dr. at every turn, at his old sport of reading of Letters, Packets Memorials &c. one time a Catalogue of the Popes disposal of all the Dignities of the Church seen August 30.Par. 72. on the 2d of September a Pacquet directed to John Grove from the Fathers at Edinburgh to tell the Fathers here, that they had 8000 Catholicks ready to rise, when the business grew hot to joyn with the disaffected Scots. These Plot Papers cum multis aliis too tedious here to recite did the Dr. peruse, and went hand in hand still with the rest of his Brother Plotters.

In all these many Consults and Matters transacted since the 13th. of August, we find first this wonderful ill fortune, that the Jesuits should meet, consult, &c. with as much or more vigor than ever, without the least Breath or hint of a Discovery made to His Majesty from the very 13th of August to the 3d of September following.

[Page 17]Secondly, we have the Doctor all along as deep in the Plot, and as much trusted by the Jesuits as ever, and tho he had been with the King to discover it, and not ex­tremely Credited by him, endeavored to give him all the satisfaction and Confirmation of the Plot, that he could possible; yet he neither keeps seizes or causes to be seiz'd, any one of these Letters Pacquets Memorials Proposals or Commissions, seen or carried too and fro by him; nor so much as endeavors to apprehend either the Jesuits Domini­cans Benedictines &c. at any of their foremention'd Consults, tho in the height of all their Plotting, with all their treasonable Schemes, Pacquets, Papers, and Resolves be­fore them.

Now some unreasonable dissatisfyed Critiques, have been apt (God forgive them sor't) to make this unlucky Dilemma viz. that either there were no such Treasonable Packets, Papers &c. seen, read, or carryed by the Dr, nor to be seiz'd or produced, nor any such Consulters to be apprehended; or else, that Titus Oats instead of his pre­tended Zeal for the King and Protestants Preservation, is the unhappy or rather exe­crable Betrayer of both, whilst neither the safety of his Prince, Country, or Religion could prompt him to make use of such favorable and many opportunities, tho for the full Confutation of all Objections whatever, and the Plain and Visible Detection of the King and Kingdoms Enemies, by such convincing Testimonies, as might have con­fronted even Malice, Impudence, nay Hell it self.

'Tis true, it is to be Supposed thàt a Traytor engaged in a Conspiracy, during the time of his Faith and Truth to that Conspiracy, might never preserve any such thing as a Commission, Patent, or any other Treasonable Paper; and consequently the Dr. in times past, might not take care to furnish himself with any such visible Proofs against them. But from that very day that he repented of his Crimes, abjur'd their Treasons, and sided with them only to trepan and betray them, making it his whole business and study to furnish the World with Invincible Proofs of their Villanies, and yet thus egre­giously to let slip such numerous Advantages, and dayly offered Manifestations of their Rogueries, yes and for this very Discoverer to be introduced to the King with no other Credentials about him, than the bare Tale of a Plot, and that too in the very height of his giving out dayly Commissions for raising of Armies &c. Nay after the Dr. was plainly sensible (if he believes as he swears) that he had seen Pacquets to the Fathers at St. Omers, bearing date January 1. new Style, in which the Fathers were assured, that His Majesty of great Brittain was brought to that pass, Nar. par. XVIII. that if any Malecontent amongst them should not prove true to their Design, His Majesty would never give ear to their Infor­mation &c. and yet after such fair Warning, for this very Patriot, that knew he had so much Difficulty and Infidelity to cope with, to come thus unprovided, with not one scrap or scraul out of all those Infinite Manuscripts and Undeniable Records against them, dayly trusted in his hands; for this Plot-swearer I say, to be thus zealous for the Protection of the King and three Kingdoms, and yet to come so empty handed to his Discovery, is such a Riddle, Prodigy, or what else you please to style it, as certainly ne­ver had, nor will have the Fellow on't.

So that through the whole Series of the Plot, we find not only the Motions of the Jesuits, but likewise the very Discoverers too, so notoriously excentrick, that the Live­liest Representation of the Whole, is, If one Pack of Phaetons were setting the World on Fire, another Pack stept out to quench it.

But that the Jesuits have such roving Head-pieces, that no Man can fix them to one Point, we might be extremely astonisht, at all the Infinite Diversities we meet in the Popist Plot; and yet as numerous and as Mysterious, as their Methods have been for the Introduction of Popery; viz. sometimes by Massacres, another while by no Mas­sacres, first by Killing all, and then by saving half, one while by one Army, and then a­nother Army, and afterwards no Armies &c. with all the rest of the forementioned Ya­riety: what if at last we find out a new Projection for't still, a Projection not so much as resembling any of its Fellows, and possibly the very best in the whole Bundle. This Projection we find in the 23 paragraph of the Drs. Narrative verbatim as follows.

That the Fathers of St. Omers, viz. Richard. Ashby Rector, Edward Hall, Edward Nevil, and others of the English Seminary, did write to Thomas Whitebread and other Fa­thers, in which was exprest that it was now apparent, that the Catholick Religion was to be brought in the same way, that they had used for the Destruction of the Father of this King, [Page 18]and as that could not be effected till much Blood was spilt on both sides, so this must be effe­cted by Effusion of Blood, &c.

Here 'twill be worth our while to inquire what that way was, the Roman Catholicks used for the Destruction of the old King: and for that wee'l go no further than the Au­thority of the Dr. himself, in the Epistle to his Narrative dedicated to His Majesty; where after many other Allegations against the Popish Party, he says.

Who besides These were the first Authors and Contrivers of the late unnatural War, by their known Diabolical Arts of Inflaming Parties and Passions against each other, and of your Royal Fathers Sufferings and Barbarous Osage It was those that brought him to his End, and flourish't Swords, and triumphed over his dead Body, whom they durst not approach when Living, &c.

This Assertion granted, the Means they used for his Destruction, and the Effects that follow'd can be no other then these, viz. the Papists who under the Reign of the old King, by the Indulgence of so Merciful a Prince had a private Toleration of their Religion, with a full and perfect Enjoyment of all the Liberties, Priviledges, and Im­munities. Peace and I ranquillity, of any of the rest of His Majesties Pr [...]testant Sub­jects, we [...]e notwithstanding privately enflaming a Crew of Fanatick Traytors to Mur­der their Prince, destroy the Monarchy, and set up a Common-wealth to their own in­evitable Ruin; and the more artfully to pull down that Ruin, they were most of them in actual service for that very Prince they were plotting to destroy; thereby not only hazarding their Lives in his cause, but likewise forfeiting both their Freedoms and E­states, to the Rapine and Revenge of the Victorious Rebels for their defending him. And all this for the Advancement of Popery; An Odd sort of Advancement; but let that pass.

Now to summ up all, if the Fathers at St. Omers were unanimously agreed, that the apparent means of bringing in their Religion, was the way used for the old Kings Destruction, and 'tis likewise as apparent this only was the said means; How can we make the Conspiracy and Byass of Affairs in that Age run with this, but by concluding the Papists, or their Brethren in Iniquitie for them, are a blowing the old Coal again, f [...] to raise a false Out-cry against Popery and Arbitrary Power, to exasperate the Kingdom into a Civil War; then mount the Fanatick into the Saddle, and the King to the Block; whiln my old Patrons late Association was but a Bird of their own hatch­ing, the second part of the old Covenant to have plaid the old Game over again. And faith, all things considered (Papists or no Papists in the Cabal) this may be the most probable of all the Intrigues we have met yet; and how unwilling soever some People may be to grant this point, if our Dr. ever swore truth, the Inference falls so pat, and several late Passages look so much that way, that 'tis the very Top of all his Discovery.

This unlucky piece of Intelligence so mis-matcht to all the rest of his Evidence, how­ever it got into the crowd, and slipt into Print, I know not; but I am certain his good Patrons the Brethren were mightily overseen at the perusal of his Papers, in not ca­strating this Luxuriant Branch; and the Dr. Himself deserv'd no less then a True Pro­testant Pennance for't, and to be turn'd over to Satan to be buffeted.

But the Plot it self is not more Extraordinary, than Mr. Oats his good Fortune and Escape to prove it; for on the 3d. of September, long after his being with the King, he tells us,Nar. par. 75. That he saw a Letter from the Provincial, specifying that the Provincial had been Inform'd of some Discovery made, at which he was somewhat surpriz'd. Pa. 76. the same day at Night Mr. Oats went to Visit the Provincial at his Lodging, and was order'd to come again the Morning following. Par. 77. the next Morning, being the 4th of September, according to the aforesaid Orders, he went to the Provincial, who upon sight of him, askt him with what Face he durst look on him, since he had played them such a Treacherous Trick; and struck him 3 blows with his stick, and a Box on the Ear, and charged him with being with the King and a Minister with him, whom he suspected to have Informed the King of these things &c. the Provincial having had Intelligence by a Letter from Father Benningfield, that had suggested some such thing to him; and therefore judg [...]d it must be he that had Discovered, and was drawn in by some Parson to the same &c. But at last the Provincial told him, he was willing to be re­conciled to him, if he would discover who the Parson was, and his Name and Place of Abode, to the end he might be secured of him, and were resolved to Kill him: and in the mean time, the Dr. was order'd to go beyond Sea within 14 days, as the Provincial said, and that the De­ponent [Page 19]might not Cheat them, they were to pay for his Coach-hire, and order'd him entertain­ment at Sittingbourn, and other places on the Road to Dover, and there Mr. Conyers at the Kings head was to pay for his passage to Callice, and the Master of the Feathers in Callice to St. Omers, where he was to remain till farther Order from the Provincial.

Aft [...]r all this, (Paragr. the 78) on the 6 of September, we have the Dr. and Pick [...]r­ing conferring Treasonable Notes together, and the same Night we have him coming again to visit the Provincial.

That about night the D [...]ponent attending the Provincials d or and about to go in, he heard White and some others whom the Deponent supposes by their Voices to be Father Mich [...], and one Mr. Poole consulting about the disposing of a Person he supposes to be himself; their words w [...]re these. This Man has betrayed us, and therefore we will give a Coachman twenty pound to take him up, and carry him directly to Rochester to E [...]quire Lees house, who lived near the Town, and from thence to D [...]ver by some bye way, because he was ac­quainted at S [...]tin bourn and said, if they could get him on t' other side the Water, they would torment him till he had confest to them, who it wa [...] had been with the King, and Inform'd him of the business; When the Deponent heard those Wor [...]s, he made hast away and durst not lye that Night in his own Lodgings.

In all this is remarkable, that Dr. Oats who not many days after durst not trust him­self abroad, without half a score stout Beef-eaters, to defend him from Popish Assassi­nates, yet here, after his Discovery to the King, and reading a Letter from the Provin­cial expressing his intimation of the Discovery, like a bold Knight-errant ventures him­self alone at the Provincials own Lodgings Sept. 3d, yes, and upon further Orders waits on him again the next day, nay, and what's yet the greatest piece of Herculean Courage, that e're I met with, after not only being tax'd with it, and handsomly cudgelled into The Bargain, but the very Minister that drew him in was fairly threatned to be murder'd; The undaunted Dr. ventur'd again the 6 day to the Provincials door (tho for n [...] [...]usi­ness in the World with him) and had went in had not his fortunate over-hearing the Consult about him, made him troop off in a whole Skin; secondly we are to observe, that the Provincial that suspected him before, and sent for him to tax him with it, at the same time he had him safely alone with him, and with no less thoughts about him, then Killing the Minister that drew him in (which is supposed was Dr. Tongue) to prevent a farther Discovery; yet on the otherside, just at the critical minute of unravelling all those Jesuitish Intrigues, that had been an Hundred Years in hatching, foolishly even to hazarding their whole Cause, lets go the very Man, who had it in his Power to undo them all; a Person more dangerous ten times than Dr. Tonge; and for his falsehood [...]o the Jesuits in such a Discovery, ten times more deserving to be secured, and to hav [...] his Mouth stopt with a Dagger than he; nay what's more lewdly foolish than all the rest, at the very Minute he designs to pack him beyond Sea, to prevent farther danger, he gives him 14 days time in Town before he sets out for Dover. Good Heavens; that the Principal of the Jesuits in England, that one would think should have a little more Wit, one not only so highly concerned in the Plot, and so industrious for the Popes Restora­tion; but so bloodily principled that Murders, Regicides and Massacres were his dayly Study, should so ridiculously loose so fair an opportunity of dispatching, or at least se­curing one poor Renegado, tho for the Preservation of the Lives and Fortunes of him­self and his whole Party.

Well! nothing but Folly and Madness reigns, and therefore 'twas impossible such a Thought should enter into his Head: Besides as the Drs. Discovery, take it altogether, was wholly Miraculous, so 'twas ordain'd that Miraculous should be his Preservation to make it.