THis day being the 30th. of May, 1685. The Villanies, Impoſtures and Perjuries of Thomas Dangerfield, alias Willoughby, one of the Evangeliſts of the late pretended Popiſh Plot, (one, Second to none except Oates, in the moſt flagitious Rogueries) were brought to light by unqueſtionable Evidences; the Proceedings are as follow.

About Eight of the Clock in the Forenoon, my Lord Chief Juſtice Jefferies with two more of his Brethren being on the Bench, the Jury was called, being all perſons of conſiderable Eſtates and Quality, againſt whom Dangerfield brought no exceptions, and ſo it was quickly Impannelled: Then the Indictment was read, the Sum of which was that he had given into the Houſe of Lords a moſt Dangerous, Seditious and Falſe Accuſation againſt his Royal Highneſs James D. of York, (now our preſent King) and uſed all endeavours to bring hatred and contempt upon him, and ſet him and his Brother at variance by falſly Swearing that our preſent King gave him Twenty Guineys to Kill his Dear Brother of Bleſſed Memory, and that he the ſaid Dangerfield was Hyred by ſeveral perſons of Quality to ſtifle the then Rampant Popiſh Plot, and to throw it upon the Presbiterians; the Falſity of all which, was proved by undeniable Evidence. The Indictment was in few words open'd by Mr. Phips, and then Mr. Attorney General began to mannage the Evidence for the King. Firſt, Mr. Samuel Clark and Mr. Martin proved that, that Information was Dangerfields, and that he was the Author of the forementioned Libellious Narrative: After this was proved, they began to make direct Proofs. Firſt, was called the Earl of Peterborough, who gave a large and pertinent Evidence; the ſubſtance of which was, that Dangerfield was recommended to him as a perſon that could diſcover great matters, concerning the diſaffected diſloyal Party of England, commonly called Presbiterians; after he not then knowing his Roguery, he was introduced by him to his Royal Highneſs, pretending to make a full diſcovery of a horrid Plot againſt the Government, and particularly his Royal Highneſs, then pretending great poverty, and that he had pawned his Cloaths for the ſervice of the Government, the DUKE out of Charity gave him ſome Ten Pounds (which after the Rogue ſaid was for killing the KING) and afterwards he got Audience of the K • NG, and told the KING the ſame Flam and got ſome Forty Pounds, but the KING would not hear him privately alone by the DUKE's advice, leaſt he might prove a Rogue, as it after appeared he was ſo, that he never had Audience of the KING or DUKE alone, as was proved by ſeveral Witneſſes. My Lord Peterborrough ſaid that after he had come to Court twice or thrice he began to ſmell a Rat; he likewiſe Swore in the preſence of the Great God, that whereas Dangerfield had charged him with contriving a Book that contained the ſubſtance of the after pretended Sham Meal-Tub Plot, that all was falſe.

The next Evidence for the KING was Coll. Halſal, who backed my Lord Peterborroughs Evidence by ſeveral Circumſtances, and told the Court how that being asked by the KING his Opinion of Dangerfield, he replyed, That he looked up on him to be a Pick-pocket Rogue; and that he looked upon all that he Swore to be Roguery, becauſe he could not produce the Commiſſion he pretended he ſhould have had from Sir William Waller.

The next Evidence for the KING was Mr. Cellier; who gave Evidence that one time Dangerfield came to his houſe Curſing and Swearing, and ſaid that in Caſe he was not better furniſhed with Money, he would tack about and go from the Evidence he had given againſt the diſaffected Party and become an Evidence for them, ſaying, He was ſure they would furniſh him with Money enough, and endeavour to prefer him, and procure him a Commiſſion.

Then my Lady Powis atteſted that ſhe never heard of Dangerfield, till he had Accuſed her before the Council, and whereas he had formerly ſwore that he had ſeveral Papers from her, all was Falſe, and that he was not able to produce one.

My Lord Powis atteſted that he never ſaw Dangerfield ſo as to know him from another man, and that all was Falſe that he had ſpoke of Treaſon concerning his Lordſhip, and that he never came to him with any ſuch Treaſonable Meſſage as he pretended; much what the ſame Evidence was given by one Sr.—Harvey and Mrs. Hill: After this the Kings Council to ſhew how great a Rogue he was, and how little credit he deſerv'd, produced in Court ſeveral Records of former Convictions in ſeveral Courts in England: Firſt a Record was produced, for breaking a Houſe here in or about Lond • n, and that he was found Guilty of the Fellony, but not of the Burglary: Then another Record was produced for his breaking a Houſe in Eſſex: Then three or four Convictions for putting off Falſe Guineys, for which he had ſeveral times ſtood in the Pillory at New Sarum in Wiltſhire.

After this Evidence for the King had done, Dangerfield began to make his Defence, which was juſt ſuch another Cant, as his Brother Oates made in his Tryal, viz. That their Evidence was the Prop of the Proteſtant Religion (which made great laughter in the Court) that the King was Judge and Plaintiff, and began to make Saucy reflections upon ſeveral honeſt men, but was ſharply reproved by my Lord Chief Juſtice and kept within his bounds, which was obſerved to put him a little out of his Newgate Rethorick, which was nothing but ſome flouriſhes upon general matters of the late deceaſed Popiſh Plot; then he was deſired to make a particular defence, and he called ſeveral Witneſſes which all concluded with ſomething againſt himſelf, as the Salamanca Doctor's did.

Firſt, One Mr. Cooper the Clerk of Newgate being asked by Dangerfield what Evidence he could give, replyed, He never ſaw him, and Mrs. Cellier together, as Dangerfield ſaid more That he believed him to be a Rogue, for he had been three times in their Cuſtody in Newgate. Capt. Richardſon atteſted the ſame, and that he knew nothing of an intreague betwixt Mrs. Cellier and Dangerfield. Sir Thomas Doleman ſaid he remembered little, for he had been ſince ſtruck with a Palſie. Sir John Nicols was called but a peared not; then Dangerfield called Thomas Williams, William Scarlet, and Henry Sherbourn, but none of them appeared, then one Mr. Blaſdel an Apothecary, but he proved him to be a great Rogue; then he called one William Tilbury, but he knew nothing of the Matter, only that he Lodged ſometimes at his Houſe, and Dangerfield pretended Acquaintance with my Lord Powis's Family, then were called ſeveral more but did not appear. Mr. Chiffinch atteſted the ſame that my Lord Peterborrough and Coll. Hallſal, and nothing to the Priſoners advantage. Laſt of all, was called one Mr. Stretch by Dangerfield, who inſtead of doing him ſervice, proved that while he ſaid Mr. Stretch was ſearching Coll. Manſels Chamber, that Dangerfield pinned the Seditious Paper upon the Wall. The Priſoner having made what pitiful defence he could, which as you have heard was nothing to the purpoſe, but to prove himſelf the greater Rogue.

My Lord Chief Juſtice moſt Elegantly and Succinctly Sumed up the Evidence, telling the Jury what a Monſter of Wickedneſs the Priſoner was, and how the Honour of the Nation was concerned. and in ſeeing ſuch profligated Rogues brought to Condign Puniſhment and how that the Evidence was beyond all exceptions; ſo that without going from the Bar the Jury found him Guilty of the Indictment: Here's an end of the Evidence of the once admired Dangerfield, who was abetted by the Whiggs to endeavour to Tarniſh the Luſtre of the Glory of the beſt and greateſt of Princes.