A VINDICATION OF THE ENGLISH CATHOLIKS FROM THE PRETENDED CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE LIFE, AND GOVERNMENT OF HIS SACRED MAIESTY Discovering the cheif lyes & contradictions contained in the Narratiue of TITUS OATES.

The 2. Edition with some Additions: & an answer to two Pamplets printed in defence of the Narratiue.

JTEM A Relation of some of Bedlows pranks in Spain, & Oate's Letter concerning him.

Nec nobis ignominiosum est pati, quod passus est Christus: nec vobis gloriosum facere, quod fecit Iudas.

Cyp. Epist. 55.

Permissu Superiorum.

M. D.C. LXXXJ.

A PREFACE TO Mr. I. PHILLIPS.

SIR.

VEry lately, and al most at the same time, J receiued two Pamphlets both written against my Vindication of the English Catholicks; one by you, the other without any name: I intend in this second edition to answer what is material in both, althô this Preface is directed particularly to you, 1. Because you name your selfe. 2. The other speakes more to my Vindication, you more to me, & for that rea­son may in ciuility expect a returne. 3. Because you pretend to more intimacy with me, then ordinary, to be my bosome freind, & to know the secrets of my hart, & my Consessions too: for pag. 13. you tell the world; I abhorr the King in my hart; and a little after you say: I neuer call the King sacred, but I receiue Absolution. This expresses a greater familiarity, then Oates pretended with the Iesuits: if you go on, you may stand faire for a witnesses wages, & vie with the pretended Doctor himself, in the Art of Discovering Plots.

Notwithstanding all this you declare that you know not who am, & seeme very much concerned to find it out. Pag. 2. In the first place, it behoues vs strictly to examin who this Titan of a Vindicator is, & pag. 44. you must come, & tell vs who you are. In fine all, that you can discerne of me, is contained in these words; pag. 2. There is no question to be made, but that I am a Roman Catholick. So all your strict enquiry affords you no further lyght, then which serues to discerne my Religion. But as for my Person you know not whither I am little, or greate, blacke, or white, a German, Indian, Spaniard, or English. And yet you boldly assure you know my hart, when you do not know my face!

You blame me for vsing vnciuil language: I wish you were lesse obno­xious to that blame. You say pag. 5. We Professe a profligate Religion, a vicious & mishapen mixture of Ceremony, & superstition, that will not passe the muster of common Reason. And p. 48. A religion of no credit, founded vpon forgery, a sort of Deuotion, that no man of Reason can admit into his Beleif, or Conscience: in the practice diametrically con­trary to all the precepts of Christ, Our Saints to be sported with, as the train of Heathen Deïtyes. Transubstantiation rather to be contemned then disputed against. Our mi [...]a [...]les as fabulous as Mandauil's trauels. Our Pompe, Pride, Luxury, Sodomy, infamous. Our supersti­tions, & Ceremonys Foppish, & Ridiculous, Infine a Religion vilified with our owne mouths.

Of all our Clergy: pag. 9 they are Dunces, Block heads, Ignoramus, stupid Theolo­gists, & opinionated head strong Mules. pag. 12. Bloody Canaille pag. 17 obstinate, wilfull vermin Item. apacke of Knaues pag. 43. Fugitiues, Traitors, & conspirators. Homines trio­bolares, Propertius's Damae, Tressis Aga [...]ones.

Of a Venerable Prelate pag. 9. He liues vnder the ill character of an Exile, a Renega­do, he hath renounced his Allegiance: a hedge Archbishop.

Of my self. p. 12. Fop of a Vindicator. p. 20. nick a poope of a scurritous Vindicator. p 23. Pumpkin of a vindicator. p. 31. pitifull, idle, nonsensicall vindicator. p. 41. Caitif of a Vindicator. & Priapus of a vindicator p. 11. Poore silly wood pecker. p. 21. foole & Concombe. p. 26. I shall be canonized for a foole. p. 30. Foole, & will turne chang­ling. p. 29 hardly worth hanging. p. 44 Empty skull, hollow perioranium. p. 27. My braines are drier then brickes. p 34. & 35. Brayne of a Tailor. And as if English did not afford ribaldry enough you borrow of Greeke, Latin Italian, & French a supply. p. 37. Afinego. p. 41. Chenalôpex. p. 43. Monsieur Homme de rien, & Pomarius Hercules. Infine p. 18. that I am not worthy to hold an vrinal, to D. Oates, or feede his hogs. And you seeme in that place to reduce all my good qualitys, to two heads: foole, & knaue. J will leaue the later to you & your pretended Doctor: & for the other, the more I deserue it, the more credit will be giuen to my words: for fooles speake the truth.

These are the ornaments of your ciuil language, when you blame mine, as vnciuil. Did I not perceiue, that you are well stored, with such coine, I should think you would be soone out of purse, you spend so freely. But you haue an Indian mine of such mettal, & a mint in your Braine.

I find no cause, giuen by me for all this riboldry, but 1. that p. 2. I sayd out of Pamphlet that Oates's Phisognomy was an Index to all villany, & that a lettred man may reade Rogue in his face. And 2. that I call his vntru Depositions, Lyes. To which I answer.

As to the first: I cite my Authour, out of whome I cite those words. I am certain they are there: and am not further concerned, whither tru, or false.

To the 2. seing the Depositions are false things signifyed in word, with an intent to deceiue: which (as you say p. 18.) is the definition of a Lye, I thought I myght put the Definitum, for the Definition, his Depositions being of that nature. And though the word ought not to be vsed in ciuil company, to a man of honour, or honesty, yet in a speech directed to Mr. Oates, who shews so little of ether, I thought it myht passe, no other of the like signification occurring. Yet seing they are not only knowne vntruths spoken with intention to deceiue; but also confirmed by Oath, I shall hereafter terme them Periuryes. Jt may be this word will lesse offend your tender ciuilized eares, If not, I know not how to helpe it: for we [Page 5]must ether not speake of things, or call them by their names, a boat, a boat, a spade, aspade, & a Periury by its proper name.

You tell me p. 27. You expected I should haue shewne my wit & Rhetorick, the creame of my Eloquence, haue strewd flowere, Metaphors, & sorites, & haue gored the Doctor with forked Dilemma's. Elswhere you reproach me, that I shew no reading, cite no Authours, &c. And vpon this you ground all those Characters, which you giue of me, Sot, foole, Dunce, Blockhead, &c. And had I done so, you would haue blamed that, & haue sayd, that Truth stands not of neede of these meretri­cious dresses, to make her seeme louely: & that all was to delude the Reader. Thus whateuer we doe, whither we Pipe, or mourne, we must be blamed. Learned Sir, when I began that worke, I looked on it not as a combat of wit; but of Truth: I designed not to shew my learning; but our Innocency: Nor to compose an Oration; but an Affidauit out of the Attestations of Persons of knowne integrity, to confute the Periuryes of one infamous man. J say infamous, for so he is, in the eye not only of Catholicks who know his Depositions to be false: but likewise of the far greater part of Protestants themselues, some where of though deseruing nothing lesse haue felt the weyght of his tongue, & the malice of that Faction, whose jnstrument he is: & others hitherto vntoucht, may justly feare the like.

What a piece of Pedantry would it be, not to speake of water without citing Pindar's commendation of it, telling what Philosophers held it to be the first principle of all things? that Moses was taken out of it in scriptures, & Venus in the Fables: what Poets say of Neptune, and Thetis, & how Mathologists vnder­stand them? &c. who could with patience heare a man vpon the naming of abo­ate, or ship, run vp to the Argonautes, & to Noak's Arke: should then endeauour to shew when sayles, when the Rudder, & when the compasse was first in vse? How long men kept to the shore? when Audax Iapeti genus first lanched into the deepe beyond all land-markes, without any other guide, but the stars, & should lard into his discourse shreds of Poets, & Orators, Latin & Greeke & make vp his speech as a beggers coate, of patches? This you seeme to require of me: & would with much more reason haue condemned me, for it, as an impertinent Pedant, & a babler without sense, or reason, had you found any such thing in my Vindication.

We speake of matters of Fact: viz, whither Oates was at S. Omers all April, & May 1678, as we say with truth; or went into England, (as he falsly deposes) to assist at a Consult of Iesuits in London? What lyght, to decide this question, can Homer, or Ennius, Hesiod, or Plautus, Orpheus, or Virgil, Moses, or Esayas, or the Psa­lmes, the Greeke of Latin fathers, giue in this question, which they neuer men­tioned, [Page 6]& where of the greatest part dyed before S. Andomarus himself was borne, All were remoued to another life, before Oates his being at the towne which beares that name? To what purpose should they be produced, as witnesses in a cause, of which they knew nothing, & therefore must stand mute, vnlesse we take the freedome with them in matters of fact, as your Ministers do with scripture in points of Faith wrest their words to what sense, we please, not only besides; but contrary to their tru meaning?

Discourse is as vse lesse in matters of this nature: for by what topicke can you proue, that Oates went into England, in April 1678. with Sir Robert Bret, & Sir Iohn Warner? Or, that Mr. Blundel carryed about with him in London a bag of Tewxbury Meestard bals? Nothing but sense can decide such matters, & the Depo­sitions of witnesses, to which I haue had recourse, & from which you endeauour to withdraw me, by prouoking me to shew wit, discourse, & learning: As we may beleiue those Philophers did, who denyed motion, & that snow was white.

J am so far from joyning issue with you in this manner of reasoning in my Vindication, that were I to write it againe, & had all the Erudition of S Hieroms. the strength of wit of S. Austin, & the Eloquence of S. Chrisostome, I would not vse them. And if any where your objections occasion me to discourse, or cite Ancients, it shall be with that moderation, as shews I do it vnwillingly. I had rather be censured as an Ignoramus, by such as you, then as a Pedant by the learned, & judicious: who k'now with Aristotle that it is equally irrationall to require De­monstrations always, and neuer to admit them. Wherefore do our laws in En­gland require Categoricall answers in Trialls, cutting off all Rhetoricall digressions? was it to conceale the Truth of Fact, from the eyes of the Jury? or because they Iudged them both vnnecessary, & vnvse full & therefore the way of witnessing by word of mouth, when Persons were present, & Affidauits, or Attestations when they were absent, was establisht?

I suppose you will deny that S. Paul that vessel of election was ether foole, or sot; yet he tooke that way, which I did, as may be seene Act. 24 for being accused of raysing sedition against the Iews, & prophaning the Temple. His answer was: I arriued here only twelue days ago in this time I neuer entred the Temple, but purified according to the law. I neuer made any Conuenticles, or vnlawfull assem­blyes, ether in the Synagogues, or the Citty. And they cannot proue what they charge me with. He says he was not where they sayd he was: so do we of Oates, that he was nether at Madrid, nor Paris. He says he attempted nothing against the Temple: & we say we neuer, attempted any thing against the King. He says, he neuer made any vnlawfull assemblys; so do we. He assured the Iews could proue nothing which they charged on him: we say the same of Oates, & you to boote, Sir: you can [Page 7]not proue any one materiall point, of the Narratiue, which we deny; nor disproue any one materiall point, which we alleadge in our defence: for after neere three yeare's toyle, you are as much in the dark for your proofes, as when you first began, like a horse in a mill, always mouing, neuer aduancing What reason doth S. Paul confirme his deniall wich? what scripture, what Philosopher, what Poet, doth he cite? no more of that in him, then in vs. Jf you dare, dart your Censures of Sot, foole, & hollow Pericranium, at him; or spare vs, who imitate him.

I must confesse, I find a precedent for your proceeding, & that recor­ded in scripture too: for Herod with his courtiers mockt at, & despised Christ, for alike reason, as you do vs, for not answering his curiosity. Luc. 23.11. You see whome we initate; & who is your paterne. I may say, as S. Cyprian on alike occasion: Nec vobis gloriosum est facere, quod fecit Herodes: nec nobis ignominiosum est pati, quod passus est Christus.

Thus much may sufficise for an answer to your sucurrility, & Billings gate language. I shall not take notice hereafter of any thing of that nature. I leaue you to learne more ciuil discourse, for your owne sake, it being more vndecent for you to speake, then for me to heare such language. I am yours &c.

Post-script. One word to Anonimus: so I shall call the Authour of the Account of my vindication. pag. 5. he complaines, that by asserting our Innocency, we render the Brittish Nation odious, & contemptible in the eyes of other Countryes. He is very much mistaken: we do not accuse the Nation, but a factious part of it, who by this buzzle hope to gaine more Power then is due to them; who by the noyse of Popery allarme the People, & awe (I feare) both court, & the sober part of the Parliament we neede not informe externes how things are carryed in England relating to Papists: the publicke Gazets speake enough, to disgrace ten Nations. I think it our duty to let you in England know what opinion the lear­ned world abroade hath of your proceedings. Cease to accuse Innocents, & these will be silent: If you continu to condemne vs as Traitors, althô we are not such, we satisfy the vtmost rigour of the Law, by suffring the Death of Traitors in obedience to the King, as Christ, & his Apostles did in obedience to the Empe­rours. But to require of vs, that we should owne our selues Guilty, when we are not so, to be offended, that we should attest our Innocency, is more then any Law Divine, or Humane requires, it is what the Pagans neuer exacted of the Primitiue Christians, nor the Iews, of Christ.

COURTEOUS READER

THE Pamphlet, I here examin, is singular in its kind. It is an Original: for its Authour found none to copy, & I hope none will ever copy him. No Work of the Ancients so like this Tru Narratiue, as Lucian's Tru History: both are alike Tru, per Anti Phrasin. Yet there are these differences betwixt them, that the Tru history is Witty; the Tru Narratiue stupid: that delights; this grei­ues: that Laughs; this bites: that as Innocent, as a lie can be; this as malicious, as the Father of lies could desire. Lucian in that intended only to recreate those, who neuer did him any good; Oates in this designs the ruin of those, who neuer did him any hurt; but intended him much good, if his bad nature had been susceptible of good aduice.

J. P. p. 7. He does well, to confesse it is an Original, for then we are sure it is Authors owne.

Answer. I grant it is owne, not only as to the composure, or forme; but also as to the matter, which he is as much Author of, as Homer, of what he relates in the battel betwrixt the frogs, & mice, or Heliodorus of what he writes in his Aethiopica.

I never saw the Man: & soe can know nothing of him, but by heare say, & his Workes, which discouer sufficiently his better part, his soul. In a Pam­phlet(a) his Phisnomy is sayd to be an Index to all Villany: & that any Man of Letters may as plainly read ROGVE in his face, as in his Brother Bedlow's shoulder. It is certain, that he being presented with many others, to receiue the Sacrament of Confirmation, to the Bishop of S. Omers, his Lordship stopt, when he came to Oates, vutill he heard, he belonged to the English Colledg, & was presented by its Rector. The stop was noted by all present. The reason of it he was pleased to declare afterwards: viz, that he doubted whether Oates's hart was prepared to receiue the Holy Ghost, the spirit of loue, in whose face he perceiued signes of great malice.

J. P. He Berogues the man he neuer saw, vpon trust: the more knaue he for pains: for he is not certain of it.

Answ. J am certaine the Author cited by me, says it, that is enough for me, who vouch him for my warrant, & professe I speake only on his word.

He stiles himself Doctor of Diuinity, & says, he commeneed Doctor at Sala­manca. Which cannot be: for 1. he neuer was at Salamanca. 2. none, but Preists, are admitted to that degree in Catholick Vniuersitys, & he neuer was Preist. He writ to the Archbishop of Tuam to giue him Holy Orders,(b) but was refused, by reason of the very ill Character, which his Gracec, had of Oates's life & manners, for which he was afterwards expelled the Colledge of Valladolid. 3. He neuer had learning sufficient for any degree in a Catholick Vniuersity. At Valladolid from the 18. of October, when schooles begin, till his dimission (soon after) he went as a scholler, to Logick. At S. Omers he was put to Rhetorick, & in that school there were many better schollers then he, althô by reason of his age superiors did not exact of him that attendance in schools, & punctuality in Themes, as of others. Now is it probable, that one, who had commenced Doctor in Salamanca, & to that intent had performed his Exercises in Philosophy, & Diuinity, with applause, should be put to begin his Logicke amongst the Iunior sophisters, or learn Humanity amongst schoole Boys? His Doctorship, & Papists Treason were both hammered on the fame Anuil his owne Brain: the one by his Pride, the other by his Malice.

J. P. p. 8. q. The Doctor says to the first, he was at Salamanca. Answer. Had you accepted the challenge of the accurate Autbor of the compendium of the trialls, & sent to Salamanca, you myght haue discouered, whicher says Truth: & if you found he had been there, you had shewed one truth, which we gainsay. But that is not your businesse. He told the lesuits at S. Omers, that he had beene Burser of S. Iohn's Colledge in Cambridge. I think the best, & indeed the only way to know whither he sayd tru, would be to consult the Colledge itself. If you know any better, impart it to vs.

J. P. He says to the second: one, who was only a Clericus minor, was made Doctor. Answ. He may as well be a Clericus minor, & Preist, as a Iesuit, & Preist, the Clerici minores being a Congregation consisting Cheifly of Preists, as well as the Society.

J. P. to the third he says, our Graduats in our Vniuersitys, are Dunces, Blockheads, Ignoramus's; Ergo he could not rejected for insufficiency. Answ. He neuer was proposed, for a Degree, nor euer was thought fit for it. He began his Logick at Valladolid, & his Rhetorick at S. Omers, & the schollers of those, whome you call Dunces, were his masters, is it likely, that the Iesuits should procure him to be made Doctor of Diuinity, & after send him to schools a­mongst the schole boys, to learne the first principles of Phylosophy, or his Grammer?

J. P. Fenwick's papers witnessed before the Lords, that the Charges of his commencement were payd by the Society at London, Answ. shew this, & I [Page 10]will yeild the whole cause. Let me tell you, Sir, that this is an vntruth, & deser­ues to be ranked with those of Oates. Few such would qualify you for a King's euidence, & deserue a Pension: & if you haue none yet, it is want of freinds; not merits.

Anonimus p. 7. Our Attestations run vpon negatiues, and ought to haue no effect vpon the Positiuity of an Oath. Answ. Suppose Oates should posi­tiuely sweare he was on such a day at yorke before the Mayor & Aldermen in the towne-house, where he heard them speake Treason: by shewing the Attes­tations, first, of the sayd Persons & others present, that he was not seene there by any secondly by producing those of some at London, who saw him, would not his false Deposition be sufficiently confuted? Doubtlesse if the Accusations regard a Protestant. Now because this accusation falls on Papists, how euer it be in a like manner disproued, it must stand good. Why so? They haue no better & some they will haue: as the wolf resolued to worry the Lamb, whither he shewed himself harmlesse, or not.

His ignorance in the things he speakes of, proues that he neuer was employed by Iesuits. He says,(c) he had seen the name of the General of the Iesuits forty times, & that he knew his hand, & seal. Yet he neuer hits the name right, althò he vary it, as often as Prekering did the charging of his gun. Sometimes it is d'Oliua (d) sometimes it is de Oliua; (e) in the french translation of Colmans trial, it is Di Oliua, that De being french, & Italian. Yet all miss the tru name as may be seen by the Letters taken in Mr. White's Chamber, & in any Colledge of the So­ciety, in which are at least the Patents of the Rector. And as for the Seal, he says(f) the Inscription is I. H. Σ. with a Crosse. Yet there neuer was a Σ in any Iesuit's seal. And not one of those letters are the Inscription of the seale. Two of them with a third are the substance of the seal: the Inscription containes the Offi­ce of him, who writes the Letter, & sometimes the place of his Residence. Which may be seen in the Patents of the Rector of S. Omers produced in open court at the Old Bayly, as to that of the General. Many other instances of his ignorance in Iesuit's customes will be taken notice of hereafter. All proue he neuer was employed by Iesuit's, & weakens not a little the credit of the Narratiue.

J. P. p. 11. It is frequent to sue persons by names mis-spelt: yet such a misnomer doth not inualidate the Action. Answer. Is it frquent for a Lawyer not to know the name of his Client? Or for an Embassador, that of his Prince [Page 11]who employes him? Jf not, the improbability is not answered: seing Oates pre­tended to haue seene the hand, so often: receiued, & distributed commmissions signed with it, &c. And I dare say that those who haue ether heard, or seene the tru name, & compare it with what Oates hath deposed, will be apt to think, that he neuer ether read, or heard the name, so far doth he roue from what it is.

J. P. p. 11. Through out the whole Narrative; the Doctor doth not tell the jnscriptions of the Iesuits seale: concerning the forme or fashion of the seale there is not one syllable. Answ. I do not say there is in the Narratiue; but there in Colemans & Langhornes trials, as you cannot deny: & those discouer, that he neuer saw the Iesuits seale. To this you say nothing (nor Anonimus nether,) but call me poore silly wood-pecker, who come to worke with dull tooles. A very satis­factory answer! Oates pretends to haue distributed God knows how many commissions sealed with the seale of the General of the Iesuits: I shew that is not tru, for he neuer saw the seale, as appeares by his ignorance of what it is. Hence follows also, that Oates was periured twice swearing that the seale had a Σ which neuer had any. And more, that he little regards what he sweares, seing he swore without any necessity, what was to him vncertaine, & only coniecturall. I expect some answer to this: & all I find, is that it is adull toole. Jf you haue many such answers, you would do well to print them, I assure you, all the naturall, & arti­ficial Logicke in the world affords none such.

Nothing can more weaken the credit of a witnesse, then speaking contra­dictions. Truth, as hauing a reall ground is al ways the same; fals hood, being built only on fancy, changes as this doth. Now Oates's contradictions are so frequent, that it is an endlesse work to reckon them all. I will giue here some Instances: he says, Irland's trial p. 18. that three or four days after the Congre­gation he returned to S. Omers (which must be within the month of April, or first of May, seing the Congregation was ended on the 26. of April, & stayd there till the 23. of Iune. Yet in Irland's trial. p. 24. he swears he was in England on the latter end of May. Now in reality he was for sworn both times; for he was in England neither in April, nor May. He swore, he had not seene Mr. Langhorn since April 78. in Colman's triall. After he swore he had seen him in Iuly & August in Langhorns trial. He first declared to the Parliament he had no body considera­ble to accuse, besides those he had named; after he accused some of the very Prime, whom before he had not named

Iudge hence what credit he deserues who is so euidently Perjured, as hee must be once in each of those instances, vnless he hath an Art to verify Contradictions which surpasses the Power of the Almighty. The Rule of the law says: semel, [Page 12]malus semper praesumitur malus, in eodem genere mali. A man once conuicted of Per­jury is always suspected of it: whether the conviction be by Legal sentence, or euidence of the Fact. The Apostle speaks of both convictions, 1. Tim. 5 24. Quorundam hominum peccata manifesta sunt, precedentia ad judicium, quosdam autem & subsequuntur. The sins of some men are euident before judgment, those of Others, after it. Whether in the eye of the law the first conviction is regarded or no, I know not: it is enough for me, the Holy Ghost regards it.

I. P. p. 11. The feeble vindicator hath rifled the Compendium for this, & then sends me to the its answer: where besides rayling I find nothing more then here. Then he tells his Reader, that with a scrap of Latin, & a Text of scripture, I think my self satisfyed. Truly, Sir, your answer is so far from diminishing my satisfaction, that it hath encreased it, because by it I perceiue you can not answer to what I sayd: & I beleiue any rational man will iudge you speake lowde, & say nothing to the purpose, yet hope, that your clamour & confidence shall supply the want of reason.

Anonimus. p. 8. Certaine persons haue examined the Trials, & find the Passages not so directly contradictory, but that jngenuity, & good will may reconcile them. A pretty piece of no sense! They are contradictory; but not so contradictory, as not to be reconciled by good will. They are it seemes Contradictions, this he grants: how are those circles to be squared? By a good will. How so? Doth the Doctor accuse a Papist of Plotting Treason in April at London? He must be beleiued, to haue beene there, & the Papist hanged for it. Doth he accuse an other of treasonable words spoken at the same time at S. Omers? Oates must be beleiued to haue been at S Omers then, & that Papist hanged too. Now how are these things beleiued, which are contradictions? A good will doth it, a will I say, to hang all Papists, that are brought to the Bar.

Again, the manner of his Accusation is such, as any knaue who dares tell a Lie, & confirme it by Oath, by it may bring any man or men how Innocent soeuer into question. We haue a long story of Treasonable words spoken, & Treasonable Letters waitten, by seuerall, who all protest they neuer heard of any such thing, till Oates's Narratiue appeared. And althô the greatest part of these Letters were sent by the Common Post, yet not one line appears after so long & diligent search, to confirm the Deposition. I lately learnt from a printed Pamphlet that one Packet with Letters of that nature was sent from London to Windsore for Mr. Bedding feild: which had it fallen, as was designed, into other hands, would haue beene vsed as a Confirmation of the Plot, and an euidence against Papists. But by a singular Prouidence of Almighty God, he passing accidentally by the Post Office as the male arriued, called for his [Page 13]Letters, & finding in these such vnexpected horrid contents, he humbly be­seeched à very great Person to carry them to the King: and at the same time assured him, they were not written by the Persons, whose names were subscri­bed. Who writ them, God knows: and Mr. Oates, Kerby, and Tonge were they thoroughly examin'd, would discouer. Mr. Beding fild did, what was his Duty, in getting them conueighed speedily to the K. The Authour of them is alone answerable for the Treason, they contained. But he hath his Pardon, which secures him from the Iustice of Man. I wish by tru Repentance of these crying sins he may auoid that of God: otherwise he will be deceiued, for God is not to be mocked. Gal. 6.7. Or as Mr. Whitebreade sayd, he will do himselfe more harme, then others haue suffered from him, though that hath been a great deale.

J. P. p. 11. Grants that any Knaue by an Accusation how improbable soe­uer, backed with an Oath, will bring any man how innocent soeuer, into question. But Accusations, says he, of that importance as are contained in the tru Nar­ratiue are too hygh attempts to be carryed on by ordinary Knaues; but only such extraordi­nary Knaues, as themselues. Answer: We carry on no Accusation in the Narratiue; but are accused in it, from one end, to the other. Oates is the only Accuser; & seing none could carry that Accusation on, but an extraordinary Knaue, you owne him to be such a one. I readily subscribe to you: I grant him to be a Knaue of the very first. Magnitude, that he is not to be paralelled in history, that he is singular in Knauery, as well as his Narratiue in Vntruth. Yet so as your self come very neere him, who vndertake his Vindication. And for company sake you may take in, your vnbaptized namelesse Brother. And althô I compared him to Iudas in my title page, I must grant he far surpasses that witnesse, by perseuering in his Knauery: for Iudas hauing brought to Death one Innocent man, was troubled presently with simple scruples, & not being fable to endure the reproaches of his Conscience, for greif hanged himself. Our Knyght of the Post's Knauery is of a more manly Temper, it is of a Bow dye, it neuer alters: his Conscience is hardned against all remorse, as his fore head against all shame. The dismal thoughts fryghted him a little at their first appearing, as the Deuils did Iulian, another Apostata; but by custome they are become fa­miliar, & a subject to Glory in. He deserues to haue that quality engrauen vpon his Tombee Stone: Here lyes the second Iudas, that extraordinary Knaue, in the Opinion of his Vindicator, I. Philips. Whither you slept, or preuaricated here, I know not: certainly you spoke a greate Truth against your self.

My relation of the Packet directed to Mr. Bedingtild doth displease both J P. says, I haue it out of a Pamplet scribled by one of my confederates: Anonim. says it is out of our Printed Pamphlets. And sends me to Kerby's, & Tonge's Narra­tiues. [Page 14]Answer. I had it out of the case of the E. of D. p. 15. & 16. That Nobleman will scarce thank ether of you, for calling him our Confederate. If the Narratiues of Tonge & Kerby containe all they know of that Pacquet, we neede not seeke further for its contents, the Letters being of their composition, jointly with Oates. Jt is worth the enquiry, how otherwise they could giue that Earle notic of that Packet in Oxfordshire soone enough, for him to come to windsore almost assoone as it.

How to reconcile these Vindicators to one another is as hard, as to reconcile them to truth. J. P. p. 12. Beedingfeeld knew a packet lay for him at the Post hous, & sent a freind for it, not daring to fetch it himself. Anonimus, p. 9. Beding feild waited the coming of the Mayle, contrary to custome. J. P. Bedinfild, hauing deliuered the Letters, shifted for himself; Anonimus; Bedingfild stayed to Represent the whole matter as a Forgeery. I will leaue them to confer notes, if they did it not already. Althô all conferrng of notes is vnsufficient, where it is against Truth; as appeares by the successe of the witnesses who disagree notwithstanding their collation.

I intend to follow the de deponent step by step, without omitting one §. or Item, vnobserued: & what I say shall be confirmed by vndoubtedly tru Attesta­tions: for althô in Equity our Denial ought to be preferred before his Asseue­ration accompanyed with so many contradictions, or euen without them seing In dubio fauendum est Reo, potiusquam Actori. Yet I will waue that Title, & Proue irrefragably what I advance, with such euidence, that vnlesse our Aduersarys shut their eyes very hard, they shall see our Innocency & the Wrong done vs.

J. P. 12. Jt is vtterly denyed him, that, In dubio sauendum est Reo potius, quam Actori. Which is as much as to say, that whither we be, or be not guilty, we are to be hanged.

I giue a summary of each §. for greater cleernesse, in which I omit nothing materiall, wittingly: except only seuerall seditious, & Traiterous words of his Majesty's sacred Person: Which tending only to lessen that Reuerence, which by all Laws Diuine & Humane is due to him, shall neuer be repeated by my mouth, nor passe my pen. It is not without danger, that they peep abroad, when so great a part of our commonalty haue lost so much of that Veneration to his Majesty, to the Royal Family, & to the Gouernment. Certainly they were neuer spoken by any Papist, Monk, or Iesuit: wherefore many suspect Oates to haue heard them from his Father during his youth, & to be the Relicks of the Durt, which the seditious Rabble gathered vp during the Troubles; & which now is again disperst, (with what design, is easily guest) althô it be don vnder the name of Papists, that the Authours may auoid the rigour of the law. I will not answer for the Truth of this Iudgment, but certainly it is not Rash.

J. P. p. 13. He will not repeate the traiterous words of his Majesty's sacred Person, that is to say, he ownes them all to be tru. Answ. You imitate Oates very per­fectly, drawing Treason out of the most innocent words. Let mine be reade ouer againe, & see whither there be one sillable importing an approbation of those Treasonable expressions? or owning that any English Catholicks were guilty of them? which is another Calumnye. I expressely deny, that euer Papist, Monk or Iesuit spoke them. I say none but the seditious Rabble (euen in the time of troubles, when Rebellion was Paramount, & the King termed the Common Ennemy) reported such things, & that it is dangerous to spreade such things, when so many are ready to shake hands with their Allegiance: & that not to offend in the same nature, I would nether in word, nor writing mention them. And candid Mr. Philips will thence infer; that I owne them to be tru. Yet I do not much wonder at it: for hauing made scripture teach Treason, it is not much you should make me speake, it, althô nothing be further from the tru meaning of both.

J. P. next giues vs a charge of what some did against Henry 3. & Henry 4. in France. That Claude Matthieu, was called the Courier de la Ligue. What is all this to the English Preists, who were not borne then, & it may be they condemne it as much, as any of the Ministry? Dic jam postume de tribus Capellis, speake to the businessein hand, charge vs not with other mens faults, of which we are not guilty; confine your selfe to our Personall Actions: or owne, that in them you find not mater sufficient for our indightment.

Did I foresee these Obseruations would be offensiue to any in Authority, & need an Apology, I would follow Cato's aduice, & suppresse them. But I think no Authority concerned in it, but that of Titus Oates. The Lo [...]ds Spiritual & Temporall in Parliament assembled ordred the Printing of it. And we are so far from opposing that Order, that we think our selues highly oblidged by it: be­cause by letting vs know what we are accused of, with the Persons conspiring. Time, & Place, where, & when they Plotted, &c. we are enabled to vindicate our selues, which was impossible, whilest we heard nothing but the general Termes, of Plot, or Conspiracy, Popish Nobility, & Gentry, Preists, Benedictins, or Iesuits, &c. At the end of this Narratiue we find the name of one Magistrate, sir. E D M. B. Godfrey: but he only attests that it was sworn before him, which may be tru, though the thing be fals in euery part. Dr. Tonge, & Chr. Kirby are also subscribed as Witnesses to Oates's Oath, & no more. Yet if my Intelligence de­ceiues me not, they had a greater hand in all, then I will speak at present.

J. P. p. 14. Tis well enough; for though this sentence be an Impudent re­flection vpon the supreame Authority of England, yet some compassion may [Page 16]be shewed to his pretended Blindnesse. Answ. This is vnconceuable, that it should be well enough, & yet be an Impudent Reflection vpon the supreame Power. Sir, I examin Mr. Oates's Narratiue & I see no other Approbation to it, but that of the Parliament ordring its printing. I do not examin the Trials, nor censure the Iudges, or Jurye, I leaue them to God, & their consciences, to see whither there was no hard mesure. The Tru Narratiue was not produced against any of the Prisoners: & when some of them alleadged some points of it, in their defence, the thing was rejected, as no record, nor euidence. How comes it now to be so sacred a thing, when we attempt to answer it? What law for­bids a man accused of a hainous crime, to vindicate his Innocency in the best manner he can? Doth not the denying this, much more odiously reflect on the Authority of the Nation, then all we say? can it be supposed, that any Law obliges a man to owne a Guilt, when in his Conscience he knows the contrary? Name the Pagan, the Turk, the Iew, the Tyrant, who euer was offended, that an Accused Person should endeauour to cleere himselfe. Doe not all Prisoners at the Bar, answer, not Guilty? And what Court thought its Authority concerned in such an Answer? you speake in your addresse to the Lords, & Commons assembled in Parliament, of the Infallibility of their Counsels, granting to them, what you deny to the whole Church [...] Nay you ow [...]e in them a greater Infallibility, then Catholicks Diuines owne in Generall Councils: for althô in matters of Doctrine we neuer question their Decrees; yet in matters purely of fact, such as these are, the Church doth not exact an interiour assent. whence some Catholicks haue excused from Heresy the Persons of Origen, & Theodoret, not by questioning the malignity of the Doctrine charged on them; but endeauouring to shew that they had not deliuered it. Now you neuer saw, neuer shall see me vindicate the Crimes charged on vs by Oates, which I absolutely owne to be treasonable, & that whosoeuer is really guilty of them, deserues to dye the Death; but we only say, that we are not Guilty of those crimes; nay quite contrary, that we detest them as much, & more sincerely, I feare, then Oates himself.

J hope his Majesty will not be displeased with harmlesse endeauours to vindi­cate Persons wrongfully accused. I haue learnt of the Holy Ghost, Prou. 16.12. that It is an abomination to Kings, to commit wickednesse: because their Throne is by Ryghteouness establisht. And I intend only to cleer the Truth in this great debate, to make way for Rychteous Iudgments, that his Throne may be by them establisht; & not shaken by vnjust shedding of Innocent Bloud, whose cry is loud in the eares of the Kings of Kings, our Iust, & Mercifull God. To him our daily Prayers are offred, that the Bloud spilt vnder colour of this conspiracy; but for what real [Page 17]intent God knows, may like that of Christ, call for Mercy; not, like that of Abel cry for Iustice, or Reueng.

J. P. 14. What is all this clamor for? Only for putting to deserued Death a company of varlets, & vagabonds, who deserued to haue beene hanged, only for being within his Majesty's Dominions. Answer: If you hold all for varlets, & vagabonds, who are forbidden by ciuill Powers the entry into some country, so many, & those so venerable for sanctity, will be such, as will euen honour these otherwise infamous names. Were not the Primitiue Chri­stians such? & the Apostles? & Christ himself, was he not forced to conceale himselfe, & fly, vntill the time designed for his Passion, & the Redemption of of the world was come? S. Paul. Hebrew. 11. hauing spoken of some, who endured as Catholiks haue done, mockings, & scornings, & bonds & imprison­ment: that were stoned, sawed asunder, slaine with the sword: of others, that they wandred about in mountaines, in deserts, & in Caues of the Earth. Doth he conclude as you doe, that they were varlets, & vagabonds? quite contrary: of whome the world was not worthy. You see, Sir, how different your sentiments are from those of the Blessed Apostle. I know from what Ghospel you learnt this Anti-Christian Paradox: Hobs is your Apostle, & his Leuiathan your scripture. He, is the Holy Ghost, who inspired these Principles into you.

Yet if granted what you pretend, that Preists deserue to be hanged for entring into his Majesty's Dominions: Doe they deserue to be hanged for at­tempting vpon his sacred Person? Can not a Preist be there, but he must of necessity plot his Death? Haue not some serued vnder his Royal father, when such as you (for any thing I know) fought against him? Did not some of them concur to the sauing of him after worcester fyght? why may there not be some others still aliue of the same Loyal Principles? Now suppose there be some such, how can all be charged, as Oates doth, with treasonable practices? For 1. it is an vntruth; 2. it is an vntruth in a matter of greatest moment. 3. It is a Periury. I know not, whether Hobs's Leuiathan iustifyes all this but I am sure the Ghospel of IESVS Christ doth not.

But are only Preists accused in the fabulous Narratiue? Are there not some Lay men, Commoners, Gentlemen, & Noblemen? Sure there are, will you stile those varlets, & vagabonds, who deserue to be hanged for being within his Majestys Dominions. Haue I not occasion enough to fix on you some of those titles, which you so liberally bestow on me?

In fine: the Apostles & their Disciples asserted their in nocency against the Pagans, & Iews. The Apologetiques of Tertullian, Iustin, Cyprian, Athenagoras, for the Christians are still extant; as also the writings of Cyril of Alexandria, [Page 18]Basil, & the two Gregoryes against Iulian: & we neuer find the Pagans offended with those Labours. Why should you represent our state in England more seuere then all those mortall enemyes of the name of Christ? Did not writing against Papists in this time as another Baptism Sanctify all Persons & things, & remit both the sin, & the penalty due to it, I should apprehend that so odious an Aspersion would not passe vnpunisht.

Defence of Life, & good name is commanded by the law of nature. Should we by silence seem to admit the Reproaches, of Traitors, Conspirators, Plotters, King-killers, &c. we were vnfit to liue in any state, Conscientia mea mihi necessaria est apud Deum, says S. Austin, Fama apud proximum Our first care must be of a good Conscience; our second, of a good Reputation. The first recommends vs to God; the second, to our Neighbour. None can depriue vs of the first; without out own fault: but experience shows, that the second depends on other men. Yet we are obliged to maintain it against all Calumnys, by all lawfull means, hauing as much right to it, as any man hath to his estate, or life, vnlesse we forfeit it by some real fault, which we do not acknowledg in this particular To comply with this Duty offensiue to none who seek Iustice, in defence of Iustice I vndertake this work. Hauing giuen thee an account of my design, I will hereafter direct my discourse to the deponent.

Here my two freinds J. P. & Anonimus join in one verdict that we are not fit to liue in any state, & therefore haue been banisht out of seue­rall states. But 1. what doth it concern the whole Clergy & Lay Catholicks, that Iesuits haue been banisht? I speake for all of the Catholick communion, & you answer one part of it hath suffred banishments. 2 If I suits themselues were banisht some Countrys, they were not banisht others: why should not the approbation of some other countrys as well ground an opinion of their fitnesse, as the condemnation of some others of their vnfitnesse to liue in a state? 3. those very states, who banisht them, recalled'em. And why should not this later sentence, reuersing the former deserue to be considered?

CHAPTER I. Obseruations on the Epistle Dedicatory.

Mr. OATES.

IF all you say in your Narratiue be tru, if the Conspiracy be real, the ruin of Citty & Country, the Death of the King, the chang of Gouernment, & slauery of the Nation were designed as you Depose vpon oath, & if your Zeal of the Weal Publick moued you to make this discouery: if it be an [Page 19]effect of your inbred indelible Loyalty to King, & Kingdome, you may challeng not only a Gracious Hearing from his Majesty; but an ample Reward, as one who by that honest endeauour hath preserued his Person from Death, his Gouern­ment from subuersion, his Royal Citty from fire, & his subjects from Destructi­on. But if the Plot be feighned, the whole Information a heap of Lyes, the accused Persons Innocent, nothing against King or Gouernment, Citty or Country designed, your address to his Majesty criminal: you may iustly fear the Punishment du by Law not only to Lyers, & False witnesses, but also to the disturbers of the Publick Peace: as hauing by your lyes disturbed the Citty, disordred the Gouernment, allarmed the Kingdom, & been cause of the Death of many Innocents, for no other intent then to supply your Wants out of the Publick Treasure, satisfy your Malice & desire of Reueng with the sword of Iustice, & feed your Ambition, with the vain title of Sauiour of your Country.

So the quality of your Addresse depends on that of your Depositions. If these be tru, no Reward can be too great: If fals, no Punishment but will seem too little; as no crime can be greater then yours, except that of attempting im­mediatly vpon the life of his sacred Majesty: for next to that in esteem of the world, is the Publick Peace, which you haue endangered, if not broken.

To this my namelesse freind professes p. 10. he willingly subscribes to. But Mr. J. P. p. 14. & 15. is resolued not to let it passe so. And it would make the Philosopher who neuer laught but once, when he saw an Asse mumbling thistles break his spleen, to see how he tumbles & mumbles this in his mouth, & at last finding it too hard for his rotten teeth, he is forced to let it passe whole: for once we will grant it. Yet before, thus he wittily descants vpon my words: If all you say in your Narratiue be tru, if the Plot be real, — then so. But if the Plot be feigned — then so. And then adds a Deuout Prayer that all the Gods & Goddesses prouide me a Barber. This is the first attempt: here is an other: If it be so, — it is so — If it be otherwise — 'tis otherwise. from whence you argue: If the Logick of S. Omers, be no profounder, it may easily be fathom'd. Sir, it is so deep that your line is too short to sound it: That Logick is better then London fooling.

You boast of your inbred Loyalty, which nether your Education vnder a Fa­ther inferiour to few in hot blind zeal for the good old cause, nor your words in fa­miliar discours confirm: What sence you haue of Loyalty appears by your words here, for you call concealing Treason, & concurring with Traitors, (the subject of his Majesty's Pardon) Humane frailtyes, as if you esteemed them little Pecca­dillos venial trespasses, scarce sins.

J. P. p. 15. He came from his Fathers Education to you to S. Omers for [Page 20]breeding: why did not you teach him better? Answer. Did your Salamanca Doctor of Diuinity come to learne breeding at S. Omers, amongst School boyes? You will find it harder to answer this question, then for me to answer yours: we taught no better, because he was capable of no good instructions. What is bred in the bone, will not out of the flesh. The first noysome tincture could neuer be well purged out of that vessel: & for that reason he was cast out, that he myght not annoy others.

Anonimus. p. 10. thinks J indict Oates's father, & vouches Cornelius Agrippa for it, a man who was dead before ether of vs was born: & so could speak much to the purpose doubtlesse.

Papists many Encroachments vpon Princes for these thousand yeares, proue, say you, their Inclinations for the future. What will the Encroachments of Presbiterians, sine they appeared, proue? who haue shaked not Kings; but Kingship, not Monarks, but Monarky it selfe? which Encroachments were carryed on with that stubborn violence, that they produced wors effects in four years, then those things you mean of Papists could in all probability haue don in four thousand. To proue this, we need not examin Records, or read Historys; our own memory furnishes examples enough, which should not haue been so lyghtly past ouer, had not his Majesty by an vnparalelled act of Mercy forbidden all speech of them, nor mentioned, did not your Impudence oblige me to it. Ets [...] coram hominibus dur [...] sit f [...]ons tua, erubescit coram Deo mens tua. Your conscience giues the lye to your words, how confident soeuer they seem. The disorders, which hapned in Catholick times are like an Ague in the spring, painfull not dangerous, & Leaue the body more healthy, then before: Those of Presbiterians, are like Putrid feauers, or the Plague, which leaues scarce hopes of Life.

J. P. p. 15. The encroachments of Presbiterians are no excuse of the en­croachments of Papists. Answer. nether did I alleadge them as such; but only to shew whence Monarky is most endangered: and to admonish our Pilots, that to auoyd a few floating reedes, they run not their ship vpon a rock.

You are offended, I say that Disorders of Catholicks are like Agues in the spring, painfull not dangerous, & leaue the body more healthy then before: those of Presbiterians are like Putrid feauers, or the Plague, which leaues scarce hope of life. Yet look on hystorys, & you will find my words tru in both parts. The Barons wars left the Authority Royal much better setled then before: so did the commotions of Iack straw, & wat Tyler. That betwixt the two branches of the Royal family seemes to me no rebellion, the titles of the two partyes were disputable, & a King was fought for by both sides; yet that ended in Monarky too. So France after its ciuil wars in the time of Henry 3. Henry 4. & Lewis 14. [Page 21]was composed vnder Monarky much more absolute, then euer. Whereas the Presbiterians cast down King, Monarky, house of Lords, Bi [...]hops, &c. when did Catholicks broach such Anti-Monarkicall principles, as appeare of late? That the King is but one of the three estates. That it is not treason to take armes against him, vnlesse it be against the other two estates. That the house of Commons made the King. That the succession of the Crown depends on the Parliament. &c. Jt is nether the Tiber, nor the Seine; but the Leman Lake, & Holland Bogs, which send forth these Pestilential vapours. They were not heard of in our nation, till some Sir Politicke would be, began to dance the Geneua gig. What hopes of life, where the body politick abounds with such peccant humours?

J must take notice of your Presbiterian honesty in citing my words, I sayd, Papists Rebellions were like spring Agues, painfull; not dangerous you p. 15. l. vlt. make me say: nether painfull, nor dangerous. As if there were any Agues not pain­full. This dishonest shif shew that my vindication pinches hard, & giues you no real ground to confute it, seing you are forced to falsify my words, before you can answer them.

Anonimus p. 11. after saying much & prouing nothing, concludes that Rebellions of both Papist & Presbiterian are bad enough. Answer: we agree in that: may I say they are too bad; but the later are still worser of the two. He aduises vs to change our Principles, for his: but doth not tell vs what those are. The passage from a Protestant to a Presbiterian is as natural, as from a Cater­piller to a Butterfly: there are in ward principles in nature for this, & in Doc­trine, & Religion for that. Which both experience & reason shew, & a Pres­biterian is half a commonwealth man, ipso facto. He may therefore conclude for the embracing our Principles

Lately in the low-countrys one (such a freind to Iesuits, as you are) charged them with the first murther in the world: for Cain & Abel were their schollers, & the master gaue them a play-day, that Cain might wreak his malice on his Inno­cent Brother. Nay the eating of the forbidden fruit was charged on them too: for another Iesuit Confessor of Eue told her she might eat it without scruple. With a like reason you accuse Papists, of what? why, it is known K. Iames escaped not their poison. To whom is it known? & by what Reuelation? Those of that time are silent. The Parliament held a while after charged the fact vpon a great Peer, no Papist. But K. Charles I. who had best means to discouer the Fact & most reason to examin it declared there was no such thing. Vppon what Au­thour of equal credit, is your knowledg grounded?

J. P. is silent here. Anonimus attributes the charge of Abel's murther, to a sneaking monk; as if there were no other men in the Low-Countryes. Then he cites [Page 22]whole pages out of the Mystery of Iesuitisme: to as much purpose, as if he had cited Tom Thomb, for this would as wel haue filled vp the Page.

You passe then to charg Papists with our late barbarous wars: which were you wise, you would neuer haue mentioned. Because the Papists in those hardest times complyed with their Duty to their K. & Country; & Presbiterians failed in all. The Papists, say you, were the contriuers of the vnnaturall war. The tru Au­thours of it had a far different opinion: who began their Rebellion by disarming Papists, carryed it on by the death of Preists, & euen some laymen, who f [...]ll into their hands, & would haue ended it with the extirpation of them all, if fear of their fellow rebel, the Independent had not diuerted their thoughts from seeking the ruin of others, to seek their own preseruation. Name one Papist who bore armes against his Majesty: thousands according to their duty fought for him. This the Rebels knew, & therefore where they preuailed, Papists were persecuted ether as publick enen yes, or priuate [...]pyes. Yet you say they were cheif Actors in the Rebellion! How many lost their [...]ues in Battle? How many were killed in cold bloud? How many lost their estates by confiscation, or then Liberty by imprisonment? How many were banisht their Country, meerely for being Pa­pists? we would be silent in these matters, & rest content with the Testimony of a good conscience to God, & the Glory of hauing don our Duty, before men, did not your slaunders force vs to remember them.

Wherefore to your impertinent questions, I giue pertinent answers. Who contriued the Rebellion? Presbiterians. Who inflamed Partyes, & Passions Presbiterians. Who carryed on the War with Purse, & hand? The Presbite­rians. Who broke the Vxbridge treaty? the Presbiterians. Who imposed the Couenant? The Presbiterians. Who defeated all designs of Peace? The Pres­biterians. Who enslaued their Country? The Presbiterians. Who ruined the King? The same Presbiterians; For it was wisely obserued by an vnderstanding man, that the Presbiterians Killed the King: & the Independants murthere [...] Charles Stuard.

The Presbiterians laboured indeed to hinder the last horrid Act of tha [...] Tragedie: but their past, & following Actions perswade, they did not this cut of loue to their King; but to themselues. For they entertained no serious thought of restoring his Majesty till they found the sword, which they had wrencht out of his hand, stolen out of their owne by their younger brother Rebel, the Independant, & felt the smart of it on their own shoulders. And when they offred it to its Ryght Owner, it was on such Conditions, as should lock it in the scabbard, & keep themselues the Key: so as it should be ne [...] ­ther drawn nor vsed but by their Directions. Yet these are your Assertro [...] [Page 23]of Monarky which they bind vp hand & foot with Chaines: & Papists its Ennemy, who leaue it the full Liberty of the Law.

Keep then the Durt of your Rebellion which you still loue to your selues; throw it not at others who hate it by a Principle of Religion. Your liues were by law forfeited, for treason: & you enjoy them only by the King's gracious Pardon. When you pretend to Innocency you renounce that Pardon, & for­feit that only tenure of your breath, & make your selues obnoxious to the Penaltys due by law to Traitors.

J P. p. 16. rifles all hystoryes he can think on, copyed cheifly out of E. C'S Narratiue which hauing been answered already in a particular book, may excuse me the trouble of writing it ouer againe. Yet I will answer you in breif. The Presbiterians in Parliament began with disarming Papists, & persecuting them, as they did of late. Then they proceeded towards the rest in his Ma­jesty's Dominions, & threatned to destroy all in Ireland root & Branch Thus they were the tru causes of that horrid Rebellion. Let vs heare the late King: The preposterous rigour, & vnreasonable seuerity, which some men carryed before them in England, was not the least in [...]entiue that kindled & blew vp into horrid flames the despair of discontent. — Despayr being added to their former discontent, & the feares of vtter extirpation to their wonted oppressions, it was easy to prouoke to an open Rebellion, a people prone enough to break [...] out to all exorbitant violence, — The Rebels were exasperated to the most desperate Resolutions, & Actions by being threatned with all extremityes, not only to the known heads, & cheife incendiarys; but euen to the whole community of the nation: resoluing to destroy all root, & branch men, women, & chil­dren. Thus his late Majesty. By whom you see the charge of that Rebellion is brought to the Dore of those, who promoted that preposterous rigour, & seuerity: & who those were I need not tell you. And the readinesse, with which the Irish accepted a Cessation of Armes, when without it, the Protestants would haue been destroyed, as the King sayd, shewed that they sought only selfe preseruation; not Destruction of others.

As to the Albigenses, & Piemontois they were Rebels to their natural Princes: & suffred as such; not for Religion; but for open, & actual resisting them. And as for that common reproach of a Clement, & Rauaillac, we may as easily find a Polirot, & an Andelot amongst the Huguenots. It is no more reproach to a great body to haue had a wicked villain of it, then to the Apostles to haue had a Iudas. Yet if this were a reproach, you are more obnoxious to it.

I leaue your seditious doctrines, & come to your practice: you came into the world like the Cadmean brood all armed, & your seuerall Princes almost assoon felt your hands, as they saw your faces. In Geneua, you [Page 24]cast of the authority of your Bishop, Prince of the town. In hygher Germany you shaked the Authority of Charles V. In lower Germany you withdrew many Prouinces from the Obedience of their King. You vsurped vpon Rudolphus the Emperour in Transiluanta, vpon Christiernus in Denmark, & vpon Sigismond in Swedeland: you fought for the Crowne of France against Francis II. Charles IX. & Henry III. In Charles IX. 's time you coined mony in the name of one you held for King.

In England you set vp Iane Grey against the lawfull heyr Queen Mary. You bore armes against another Mary Queene of Scotland, brought her into restraint, forced her to depose her selfe, & fly her Country: kept her Prisoner nineteene yeares, & at last barbarously put her to a violent death by the hand of a com­mon executioner, a thing till then neuer executed on a soueraigne nor since, but by your selues on her Grandson. Your perpetual insolencys against your Soueraignes, your encroachments on the Royal Prerogatiue, & the seditious ma­ximes you aduance, are known too well both at home, & abroad. I challeng you to shew, that euer any Catholick designed vpon his Prince what you haue acted on yours Charles I. Remoue this beam out of your eye, before you point at a moth in ours Thus much to J. P.

Anonimus charges the commotions in Scotland on Papists, because Richelieu had a hand in them. Which althô supposed to be tru, yet is nothing to the purpose. For that great Prelate, & Minister of state, was a subiect to a foreigne Prince, not bound by any Allegiance to any, but his own Master, whose interest he was obliged to promote by all lawfull meanes: & he did it to the astonishment of all the world. Why did that Prelate addresse himself (if he did so) to Presbiterians; & not the Professors of his own Religion? The reason is cleere: he knew the Catholicks to be so fixt in their Allegiance, as no art, no promise could remoue them from it: & the Presbiterians to be meer Gun-powder, soe that the least sparke would set them on fire, & blow all to pieces. And your Apology it self is a sufficient proof of this: doth a foreign Minister of state hold vp a finger? The Presbiterians take armes. Is a discontented party at home stirring? The Presbiterians grow insolent, & labour not to oppose either fo­reigne, or domestick enemy; but to humble their King, still ready for sedition, neuer wanting will, but power, or rather occasion to do mischeife. Yet it is these are the men, whom you commend for their Loyalty! I think Princes haue little reason to desire all their subiects should copy them.

One thing I adde, that the Prologue to all their Tragedys, is, & hath euer been, a clamour against Popery. In Scotland 1637. In England 1642. & those designed lately 1680. Their first attacke is vpon Papists, & Popish [Page 25]Lords: the next vpon Popishly affected, & Bishops: & the third vpon the King. So that when you heare the cry against Popery, you may conclude the Faction is teeming.

You accuse Ioseph Simond, & Carleton Compton offring a thousand pound for his Majestys discouery after his escape at Worcester for no other reason, but that you know the names of no other Iesuits then aliue. At that time they were both at Liege, the one Prefect of studys, the other Master of scripture: & both together had not one pound at their disposall. Your own Father can informe you of Others neerer home both able & willing to disburse that, & a much greater sum for a work so aduantageous to the good old Cause.

A Convent of Benedictins, say you, was maintained by the Vsurper, & Manning of the same Red letter was executed for treason. That Conuent must be in Viopia; for in the known world there is none such. Manning whilest a Catholick had faith­fully serued his Prince: & began to be a Traitour, when he ceased to be a Catho­lick, as he declared before his Death.

By your honesty in relating things done in the syght of the sun, & known to all men, we see what credit you deserue in things don in corners & known only to your self.

J. P. p. 16. Whether it were Ioseph Simonds, & Carleton Compton or no, it is no matter as long as it was a Papist. Which is iust as to say, whether Oates speakes truth or no, it is no matter. You vindicate very well! How do you proue that any Papists did offer that sum. Can we think, that those who had furnisht such vast sums to carry on the war against the King & Papists, & when mony failed, brought in their wiues Thimbles, & Bodkins, when the work was compleated to their hands, should haue a Cramp in their hands & expect till the Papists wheeled about & supplyed them? You haue vndertaken a very hard Prouince to make good all Oates's dreames: & it is not to be wondred you should speak so little sense to the Purpose.

Anonimus is pleased very disingenuously to charg three vntruths vpon me. The first, that I sayd I knew those neerer hand as able & willing, as Simonds & Compton, to giue the 1000. l. I sayd only that Oates senior knew them.

The 2. by my answer I would haue it thought there were no such men as Benedictins in the world. I sayd only there was no Conuent of theirs mantained by the vsurper: I know very well several conuents of theirs; but none of them had a maintenance from the vsurper.

The third that I passe my word for Manning's honesty whiles a Papist. I sayd only, that he declared so much before his death.

You ask very wisely: What Arguments can perswade them to be tru to their Natu­ral, who professe Allegiance out of conscience to a foreign contrary soueraign. I answer readily: no English Papist doth so. The Pope, as a soueraign, is no more re­garded out of is Temporal Dominion by vs, then the Duke of Parma or the Prince of Monaco. We consider him only as the cheife Pastor, head of the Church on Earth, successor of S. Peter Vicar of Christ: & that in Spiritualls only; for in Temporals he is not obeyed, as appeares by the practice of Catholick Kingdoms. And in this sense he is Foreign to no part of the Church, all making one Vinyard in which he is the Cheife Workman, one family of which he is the Father, one body of which he is the head vnder Christ God Blessed for euer­more.

Anonimus here says little: but I. P. speakes enough for both p. 17. These are his words: I say Bellarmin thou lyest: for if the English Papist do not so, he is no Papist; but a mungrel. — It is the positiue Doctrin of the Papists that by meer Diuine Ryght, the Pope is supream, & sole Monarch of the world; & that all Mo­narchs & Princes are his Vassall's: which includes his authority in temporalls, as well as spiritual. And then cites for proof some words of a Legat to an Emperour. that he held the Empyre at the Po [...]e's pleasure. Where it is hard to say whether his jgnorance or his confidence be greater. His Ignorance in aduancing as apoint of our faith what nether is, nor euer was an article of the Catholick Faith. His confidence, in speaking as if it were ex Cathedrâ I will not say; but ex tripode, as of a thing not to be doubted of. The mean while let him but ether at Paris, or Madrid, or Vienna, or Venice, &c. say that the seuerall supream Gouernours are Vassals to the Pope: & I will vndertake to defray all he shall spend out of those townes, on his return: he will hear another lesson, & that Papists are not Mungrels. His two reasons are proportionable to the rest. The first is: thou Lyest. Very elegant, & strong! his other, the words of the Legat, which weygh little with Catholicks, who owe no Obedience to, & own no infallibility in any legate whatsoeuer. So, Sir, if you dam ouer ten times more, yet nether my self, nor any English Catholick doth acknowledge that article of our Faith: that the Pope by meer Diuine ryght is sole Monark of the world, & that all Monarks are his vassals

Then you lay down the Person of an Hystorian, & take vp that of a Priuy Counselour, & very grauely aduise the King to trust to, & rely on his Parliament, (which hath proued sometimes such a staffe to our Kings, as Aegypt was to Israël, Ezech. 29.6. & 7.) not to erect an Imperial Paramount self-end, or lust, nor to Rule by Will; but by law: that it is more stately to be King of Kings (that is a King without subjects) then a King of slaues, so you are pleased to call those who [Page 27]obey the lawfull commands of their soueraigns. Where it is hard to say whether is greatest, your Presumption in giuing these seditious aduices to his Majesty, or your Folly ïn thinking them necessary, or your Malice in presenting them, as if they were. You had seen your self represented as king, in a Pack of Cards, & would willingly be so in reality: that the King's state myght be greater, not by commanding, no haue a care of that; but by being the first amongst such Kings as you would be.

And how long you will let him be, first, appeares by your following dis­course: The cheife end, & work of all supreme Powers being to suppresse Vice, & encourage Virtu, which is don by banishing all Vicious Liuers (such as the D. Of York) from their Presence & Conuerse, & aduancing the Virtuous (such as your self, & D. Tonge) in their stead, By the neglect of which principal part of their Royal Trust & Office, Princes DEPOSE themselues as VSELESSE before God, & their own conscience, what euer may be their state, and Glory in fact & by humane laws, & Power before men. Before: you raysed yourself from the condition of a Priuate man, to that of a King; now you lay a Principle to bring any King to the quality of a Priuate man, by making his Royal Authority depend on a Condition morally impossible: for such is that of banishing all Vicious Liuers, (who in all states are the greatest, though not the best part of the whole) & aduancing the Virtuous in their stead. Seditious Doctrine. Wherefore I leaue it to Authority, to be abolisht by Pu­blick Fire.

J pray God, your study & Prayers for the long life of his Maejesty, & the Peace & Felicity of his People be sincere. I know none who haue endangered the losse of those Blessings, more then your self by your Lyes: which I now Will begin to discouer, hauing sincerely wisht that you may truly Repent, & make due sa­tisfaction as in conscience you are bound.

J. P. p. 17. says nothing to this: not knowing I suppose how to ex­cuse ehter the Parliament of 1642. at which I hint, or Mr. Oates's words from Treason. Anonimus is content p. 14. & 15. to transcribe Oates's words, & leaue them to shift for themselues. I think they tooke the wisest course; Though not the honestest: for they finding the words presumptuous aboue excuse, & euidently treasonable, they should sincerely haue acknowledged soe much.

CHAPTER II. Two vntruths in the addresse to Reader.

TO tell vntruths seemes as natural to you as breathing: Nothing come from you without them: which this Preface shews. For you say

It (the Narratiue) was presented to his Majesty, the thirteenth of August last. This is fals: for it containes things, which as you say, hapned on the 3.4.6.7. & 8 of September following, as may be seen from § 76. to 81. inclusiuè.

J. P. p 17. thinks he hath squared this circle, by saying the deponent pre­sented it priuately, and vndiscouered till the 8. or 9. of September. But did his remaining vndiscouered, inspire him with a Prophetick spirit, to fore see on, or before the 13. of August, what would happen neer a month after? Here is the difficulty: to which his being, or not being vndiscouered signifyes no more, then wearing a grey, or black sute of Clothes.

Againe: It was sworn vpon Oath on the sixth of September following, before Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey by your self. Another vntruth: for page 62 your self & sit Edm. B. Godfrey assure it was sworn on the twentith seuen of September.

J. P. ibidem: This is false: the date signifyes only that it was sworn; not that it was sworn that day. One of vs two here must be guilty of speaking an vntruth known to be such. Let vs recur to the book: pag. 62. Titus Oates, Clerck maketh oath — witnesse his hand the 27. day of September 1678 Titus Oates. September 17. 1678. sworn before me — Edm. B. Godfrey. That maketh in the pre­sent tense, deserues to be taken notice of: which is enough to decide the cause.

You see what pittifull shifts the good man is put to, to delude his Reader. Being conscious of his bad cause, he imitates Orators in a bad cause who, as Cicero says, recurre to clamours, as lame men to horses. Here is a prodigious yel­ping, & bawling, says he, beyond all the yells, & dins of Green Hastings & Maccha rel. — The lesuits are a packe of knaues that must be looked after. The vindicator a great knaue, a pittifull, idle, inconsiderate both foole, & knaue: not worthy to hold a chamber — pot to Mr. Oates, or to feede swine. I beleiue the impartial Reader will think you worthy, to be put to ether of these two offices: & will be ready to recommend you to such a Preferment. I hope you would giue more satis­faction to your self in ether, then to your Reader in this Chapter.

Anonimus is not so furious. To the first he pretends that the deponent plainly declares it was only part of it, that was deliuered as is aboue specifyed. Well sir let it be a part of that which was presented on the 13. of August, still [Page 29]what I sayd, was tru, that this was presented on that day And indeed the Deponents words are cleere: I here present thee with a short Narratiue, — It was presented to his Majesty the 13. of August last Now I aske, whither that It, imports the larger narratiue, which he promises, or this part. If this part: I haue my intent. If the whole, that whole containes this part: & so I haue againe my intent.

To the second vntruth he says, that I should haue searcht other pamphlets in which I myght haue found, that he swore the original on the sixth of September & afterwards swore many copyes together. But seing he names no Pamphlets, where this deep secret is to be found I beleiue he had none. Indeed he is lesse to blame, then the Hector J. P. for he ownes, he had nether means, nor leisure to be rightly informed. He myght haue then held his Tong, rather then in matters of fact, to shoot at rouers.

Yet he will retaliate, & score vp two vntruths on me, as I did on Oates. The first, that himself, the Deponent assures, it was sworne 27. September. When the Deponent says no such thing. Ad paenam libri. pag. 62. of the narratiue he says, Titus Oates Clerk maketh Oath — the 27. day of Septemb. 1678 The 2. that I refer to fol. 62 When if I had put on my specta les I should find it only the 60. folio. And I desire him to put on his spectacles, & he will find it is, as I cited, (not folio but) page 62. So I am cleere from those vntruths, & they lye still at Mr. Oates's dore. O, but in your book it is otherwise say you. You should haue don well to haue told vs, whither you liue on this side of the Line, or no, that we myght with lesse trouble consult your book: althô your confident aduancing of vntruths shews you liue in England, where they abound, & flourish more then in all the world besides, since they are watred with golden showres. For my iustification it is enough, that in my book it is, as cited, & mine was prin­ted by Parkhurst, & Cockerill, by Oates's appointement.

By this your Reader may guesse what sincerity he is to expect from you in the following Narratiue, of which he meetes so little in your Address to him. Indeed your writings like the Cadmoean brood fyght against, and ruin one another. They arelike Chymeras, which being composed of Contradictions, one part destroys the Other.

I haue been longer in this point, to giue my reader atast of the since­rity of these two worthy Champions, of Oates. Let him by this foot mea­sure their body, by this essay, iudge of the piece.

CHAPTER III. Periurys contained, in the seuen first § §. which containe his informations from spain.

PAge 1. §. 1. R. Strange Prouincial, I. Keynes, B. Langworth, I. Fenwick, & Mr. Harcourt, Iesuits, writ a Treasonable Letter to F. Suiman about their contriuing [...] Rebellion in Scotland of Presbiterians against Episcopal Gouernment. And that Mat. Wright, W. Morgan, & Mr. Ireland, were employed to preach as Presbiterians to the Disaffecte [...] Scots. &c. Obseruation. Here are two Periurys. The first, that there was [...] letter with those contents. There neuer was any such letter. See attestation G [...] And it appeares it could neuer be: for it neuer was practised amongst Iesuits, that many should sign their names with the Prouincial, see Attest. C. And I desire this betaken notice of, the same mistake frequently occurring, whence we ma [...] see how little you know of Iesuits letters.

Your other Periury, is that any were sent to Scotland. No English Iesuit wa [...] euer sent thither. As for those three you name: M. Wryght was infirm & though [...] Consumptiue, & went to England for his health, & was shortly after recalled t [...] finish his studys. M. Morgan neuer was in Scotland nor out of England all that yea [...] The same of M. Ireland.

J. P. p. 18. wonders I should deny that any English Iesuits went to Scotland to rayse a rebellion, seing there was a rebellion soon after. He takes it seem [...] for vndeniable, that no factious man in the three Kingdomes designs any thin [...] against the state, vnlesse he haue a Iesuit at his elbow. It were happy for th [...] state all the rest were of so peaceable a temper, but I feare none but yourse [...] are of that opinion: it is so contrary to dayly experience. You are displeased [...] [...] say the Iesuits neuer vse to signe many with their Prouincial: & Anonimus fro [...] p. 17. to p. 20. inclusiuè,, out of the Mystery of Iesuitisme, endeauours to proue th [...] contrary, althô that libel speakes no more of many signing with their Proui [...] cial, then with the Great Mogul, or the Sophy of Persia. Well what I sayd, I s [...] again: & I appeal to any Iesuit in Europe, if they do not all vnanimously sa [...] there nether is, nor euer was in the Society any custome of many signing [...] same letters, I will yeild the cause.

Narrat. p. 2. § 2. At Burgos the Deponent broke vp the sayd letters [...] found those contents in them. Observ. Here is another Periury: for seing there w [...] no such letters, you could not open, & read them.

J. P. p. 19. This is iust their silly pleading at Newgate. Answ. There [Page 31]more honesty, & reason in this pleading, then in your discourse: for how could Oates read those Letters when there were no Letters of that nature? Proue first there was any such a thing, & then there may be some possibility, that Oates in this was not periured. But you will proue that ad Grecas Kalendas so till then we shall be conceiued, that Oates is guilty of that crime.

Anonimus p. 20. This Booby's play, they would neuer endure in a Pro­testant: why should we heed it in a Papist? Answer: here is a very expedite way, to confute all our Replys. Shew one example, when a Catholick denyed such a Play, as this: there were no such letters: ergo they could not be read: & erit mihi magnus Apollo. The mean while, feare the Reader will iudge, there is more of the Booby, in those that deny; then in those, who grant that consequence.

I think it not necessary to take particular notice of such trifling an­swers, as these, which yet are the greatest part of both the Pamphlets. So vn­lesse something material occur, I shall hereafter spare the Reader the trouble of reading them.

Narrat. pag. 2. §. 3. R. Ashby, R. Peters, N. Blundel, & Ch. Peters sent twelue schollers into Spaine, as appeared by their Patents, eyght to Valladolid, & four to Madrid who were obliged by the Iesuits to renounce their Allegiance to his Majesty of Great Britain, in the hearing of the Deponent.

Observ. Here are many Periuryes. The 1. that the students were sent by four Iesuits. Their sending is always by the Rector alone, and in his absence by the Vice-Rector, & none else medle with sending any from one place to another.

The 2. that this appeared by their Patents. Neuer any Patents amongst Iesuits had more then one name, whether made by a Rector, a Prouincial, or the General. None but a Superiour signes them: wherefore none of these could sign them besides R. Ashby he being the only Superiour.

The third, that they renounced their Allegiance to his Majesty. There is not one word of that in the Oath of those Colledges. All it containes is, to demean themselues peaceably in the Colledg, to take Orders, when thought fit by superiors, & to return to their Country.

The fourth is, that this renounciation was made in your hearing. The four sent to Madrid could not take the oath till they were there: & you neuer were there. Nether could you heare those at Valladolid: who did not take it till they had past a whole yeare in that place to try whither they would be fit, for such a Vocation. And for this reason it was neuer tendred to you because you had not been a year there.

Narrat. p. 3. §. 4. D. Armstrong brought letters subscribed by siue Iesuits. In which was expressed that the Iesuits in London intended to dispose of the King within a year, & of his R. H. if he did not answer their expectation.

Obseru. you haue two Periuryes here. The 1. that those letters were signed by then the Rector. See Attest. C.

The 2. that there were any such thing in those letters sent by D. Armestrong. see Attest. D. K. O. Q The Persons named Protest they neuer heard of any such thing till they saw the Narratiue. And F. Thom. Fermor, one of the fiue pre­tended subscribers, was not then at S. Omers, nor had been there in seuen years before. See Attest. K. And the book of Liege proues this, he being there all that time studying Philosophy, & Diuinity.

Narrat. p. 3. §. 5. F. Suiman writ that the K. of England was poysoned, & the Duke should be so too, &c.

Obseru. Here is another Periury: nether F. Suiman, nor any other euer heard any such news.

Narrat. p. 4. § R. Strange F. Gray, & I. Keynes in a letter, (which the Depo­nent saw with the Archbishop of Tuam at Madrid, in F. Suiman's Chamber) sayd. They vsed all meanes to procure Persons to dispatch the King.

Obseru. It is false 1. that euer R. Strange writ any such letter. See Attest G.

It is false 2. that euer you were at Madrid. See Attest. A. B. L. On the 1. of Iune you arriued at Valladolid: & from that till the 30. of October, when you were turned out you neuer lodged one nyght out of the Colledge of Valla­dolid, so vnlesse you were in two places at the same time, you were not at Madrid.

Narrat. p. 4. §. 7. At the same time in Madrid the Deponent saw a letter from R. Strange, F. Gray, Keynes, B Langworrh, I. Fenwick, F. Ireland, & F. Harcourt, which exprest their sorrow, the businesse was not don through the faint hartedness of their man William.

Obseruat. here you continue in the same false story of your being Madrid.

Another vntruth is that many Iesuits should sign a letter with their Prouincial. Which I haue often noted to be fals.

A third, that there euer was such a letter. see Attest. G. & R.

Narrat. p. 5. §. 8. On the 3. of Novemb. st. nou. P. Petro Hier. de Corduba Prouincial of New-Castile sent a letter by the Deponent to R. Strange, which letter R. S. shewed him.

Obseru. Here we haue many Periurys. The first, that P. P. H. de Corduba was Prouincial of New-Castille, he neuer had any thing to doe within New-Castille. And which is yet more, there is not in all the society any Prouince so called.

Anonimus very disingeniously says, p 23. I will grant the Iesuits of New-Castile are vnder the jurisdiction of those of old Castile. Whereas I sayd, the Pro­uincial of Old Castile had neuer any thing to doe in New-Castile. And I say it againe: he hath as little to doe there, as in Peru, or the Philippins. Which appeares by [Page 33]the Catalogue of the Prouinces of the Society, printed aboue forty yeares ago.

The second: that he sent you from Valladolid on the 3. of Nouember & there gaue you the letter dated on that day. You left Valladolid on the 30. of October, & arriued at Bilbao on Nouember the 3. see Attest. M. you are very vnfortunate in timing your Depositions.

A third, that euer there was any letter. see. Attest G. Who, (vnless as shallow headed as your self) can beleiue, 1. that the Prouincial of Castille should with such a reward allure the English Iesuits to attempt that which as you say he knew already they designed, & needed rather a Bridle then spurs in that businesse? 2. that he, whose Authority was confined to his Prouince, & could not dispose of any monys belonging to it, but for the good of his own Pro­uince should dispose of such a sum for such an intent? 3. that he should trust you with such a letter, whom he newly cast out of the Colledg, & sent thence disgracefully for your insuffrable qualitys, & who was not taken for a good Catholick.

Thus much for what you say of your Negociations in Spain, & the Treasons you heard or read there. How come you to forget those with D. Iohn of Austria, which when your fable first appeared took vp a considerable part of it I cannot guesse; but am sure it was not omitted on a scruple of Periury, otherwyse you would haue omitted the rest.

J. P. page 20 & 21. thinks to defeate all our Attestations, by feigned case his ill lucke is such, that the cases are no more alike, then an Apple is like an Oister. He says: suppose I, & another as bad as my selfe, should steale a horse: the other escaping, I should be taken, arraigned the matter of Fact proued: & I should alleadge, in my defence, 1. that the Presbiterians stole the horse. 2 that I knew nothing of the horse stealing till I was indicted, & 3. that my confe­derate should giue it vnder his hand, that I did not steale the horse. Then he askes very wisely, whither I think these occasions would saue me from being hang'd? And kindly inuites me ouer to try conclusions: assuring me, Newgate is furnisht with Dungeons, & Irons, for my entertainment, till I be thence sent to my Graue by hard vsage or promoted to the Gallows. Deare Sir, we haue reason to beleiue you haue as greate a kindnesse for the Roman Church, as Caligula had for the Roman Empire, you wish it had but one neck, that you myght strike it off at a blow, or thrust it into one halter. Without any experiment, I readily grant, that Play to be ridiculous: and for it I should deserue to be twice hanged, once for a foole, if folly be felony another time for a Theife. But suppose there be no horse stolen, that none but an infamous periured man should depose the Theft, that vpon search, it shoud be found, that the [Page 34]hedges were entire, the gate vntoucht, & the steede feeding in the grounds, where his Master left him, in fine, that after all diligence imaginable, nothing should appeare to confirme the Deposition of that Knyght of the Post, and proue the fact, but his worthlesse word: that vpon examination it should appeare, that this fellow at the time, when the pretended theft is sayd to be committed was 200. miles off the place, where he sweares he saw it, & that all these parti­culars could be proued by witnesses vnblemisht, I beleiue, Sir, you will not think it folly to alleadge these witnesses, & produce their Affidauits, for my discharge, in case they could not appeare without danger of what befell to Honest Medbourne, or Mr. Gerard, who both dyed in New gate: I beleiue this defence would be regarded by a rational Iury. This is something like out cases.

CHAPTER IV. Periuryes deliuered from §. 9. to § 27. Containing what he heard & read at S. Omers.

NArrat. p. 5. §. 9. R. Strange & nine other Iesuits writ a letter to R. Ashby, that they had procured a man to stab the King at Whitehal: & if that sue­ceeded not, a Physitian should Poison him. And that P. Leshee had procured ten thousand pound for it.

Obseru. you deliuer here two Periuryes. The 1. that R. Strange writ any such letter. This is most false see Attest. G.

The 2. that nine Iesuits subscribed with their Prouincial. This was neuer don by Iesuits. see Attest. C.

To hear you speake, a man would think nothing more ordinary in Iesuits letters then to write of poysoning, shooting, stabbing, cutting-off, dispatching, &c. Kings. Yet I hear that most or all their Letters of seuerall yeares were found & pervsed by Authority, & not one word found insinuating any such thing. Which sufficiently confutes your storyes of this nature.

Narrat. p. 6. §. 10. The same Fathers writ other Letters to Leshee, with thank for his Charity, & care of propagating the Catholick Religion. Which Letters the Deponen carryed to S. Omers, & thence to Paris, & deliuered them into the hands of Leshee.

Observ. your whole Iourny to Paris, is a Fable you arriued at S. Omers on the 10. of December stilo nouo, & stayed there till the 23. of Iune, excepting only two days which you past at Watten. see Attest. D. X. I heare that when you were asked in what house of the Iesuits you saw P. de la Chaize (that is his name) you answered in the Iesuits house, which is close by or next dore to the King's Pa­lace, [Page 35]the Louure. If this be tru, it shews you as great a stranger to P. De la Chaize, as by another answer it appeared you were to Don Iohn,

Narrat. p. 6. §. 11. R. Ashby shewd the Deponent at his return from Paris a letter from R. Strange & others in London, shewing that they had stirred vp to Rebellion the Seots Presbiterians, & that 20000. would be in Armes, if France broke with En­gland. That a way was made for french to land in Irland. That Irish Catholicks would rise, & 40000. Blacke bills were ready for them.

Obseruat. Here you haue as many Periuryes, as Periods. for

  • 1. You neuer returned from Paris, hauing neuer beene there. see Attest. D.
  • 2. Neuer was such a letter written. see Attest. G.
  • 3. No English Iesuit euer dealt with scots Presbiterians.
  • 4. Nor Irish Papists disposed to Rebell.
  • 5. Nor any Blackbills prepared.
  • 6. Nor way made for French Landing.

Narrat. p. 7. §. 12. F. By letters of the 18. of December it was specifyed that Tho­mas White, alias Whitebread was made Prouincial; who ordred F. Georg Coniers to preach in the Sodality Church on S. Thomas of Canterbury's day agvinst the Oaths of Allegiance & supremacy; & exhorted the Fathers to stand by the new Prouincial, who would be as Zealous to promote Religion, as his Predecessor.

Obseru. you giue here a whole couy of Lyes. first Mr. Thom. White breade was not declared Prouincial till the 14 of Ianuary 1678. soe could not order that sermon for S. Thomas day in December, before he had any power to order.

Againe it is impertinent to say the Prouincial at a distance should order, who should make a particular sermon. That is left always to the Rectors, who being vpon the Places know the conuenience, which each one hath for such a task.

Thirdly it is fals, that he was ordred to preach against the Oaths. He himself & those who heard that sermon, protest there was not one word of the Oaths in it. And this appeares in the Copy he keepes of it.

4. It is a fiction of your shallow braine, to say that F. Coniers should be ordred to exhort all to standby their new Prouincial. This was neuer practised. Assoon as the Prouincial is declared & all acquainted with it, each one knows his Duty to him: & comply with it without any further exhortation. And if this should haue been necessary, F. Con. would not haue been employed in it, who (althô of excellent parts, & great expectation,) yet is amongst the youngest. Nether was the sodality Church a place conuenient for such a sermon, this being a place designed for the Deuotion of the schollers, whither the Fathets rarely come. As great confident as you make your self of Iesuits, you do not know the place, [Page 36]where their domestick Exhortations are made, at S. Omers. Lastly, those letters were of the 18. of December, say you, from London, which according to the Newstile is the 28. the day before S. Thomas of Canterbury's. I desire you to tell vs, what man in his senses would write from London beyond seas, to be speake a sermon for the next day? And if any was so mad, how his Letter could be deliuered in time, as you say this was, or else you are Periured?

Narr. pag. 7. §. 13. Thomas Whitebread & twelue others whom you name, & more whom you do not name by Letter dated the 26. of December ordred, that R. Ashby should write to F. Leshee that they had met to contriue the aduancement of the Design of the happy Disposal of his Majesty, & of his R. H. if he answered not their expectation.

Obseru. Your first Periury is that so often noted, of many Iesuits writing letters with their Prouincial. Which is neuer practised.

Your second, that Thom. White was Prouincial on the 26. of December 77. he was not declared till the 14. of Ianuary following.

Your 3 that there were in any Letter such contents. see Attest. G E Indeed if they had a Design to giue such informations to P. Leshee, they would haue directed their letters streyght to him: vnlesse you pretend they could not write Latin in which Iesuits are seldom defectiue. But why they should send such a letter to S. Omers, thence to be conueyghed to Paris, I know not except it were, with intention it should be shown to you, theyr great Agent.

Narrat. p. 8. § 15. In the same Letter was specified that Richard Nic. Blundel was by Patent from the Prouincial made Ordinary of Newgate to visit the condemned Pri­soners: & to Catechize some youth in the City of London whom he teacheth Treasonable & mutinous Doctrines.

Obseru. You here deliuer many Periuryes, the first is that there euer were any such Letters, as I sayd already.

The 2. that Iesuits should become Ordinarys. Their being ordinary is a thing vn­heard of euen in Catholick countrys.

The 3. That this was don by Patent from the Prouincial. The Prouincial giues no office by patent.

The 4. That that Father (whose name you know not) should teach the youths Treasonable & mutinous doctrine. This is not only fals; but improbable also: & Iesuits myght be begged for fooles, if they deliuered such doctrines to Children, or youths.

If the Prouincial did employ one in works of charity, did order him to visit the Prisoners, sent to them som Almes, according to his ability, recommended to the same Person, to comfort the vnfortunate condemned Persons in their [Page 37]desolate condition, to exhort them to sorrow for their sins, which brought them to that disgracefull end, & to prepare them to end well this miserable life if I say he did so, & did it out of these motiues I know none besides your self so great an Atheist as to blame him for it. The Thing is so conformable to ryght Reason, & soe cleerely recommended in the Ghospel (Mat. 25.36.) that he must renounce both, who condemnes it.

Narrat. p. 9. §. 15. Other Letters dated on the 1. or 2. of Ianuary came to R Ashby from Thom. White, & others, ordring them to perswade the D. de Villa-Hermosa, that the K. of England would not assist Spain in this war. That Fonseca sent his Letter to S. Omers from Bruges to be sent for Spain to inform that King, that the English Marchants endeauoured to transport their estates, & to aduise him to seize on them.

Obseruat. I will note here only two of your Periuryes: The first, that many Iesuits ioyned to giue those orders, & signed those Letters. Which was neuer done, as is often noted.

A second that Thom. White as Prouincial writ them. He was not Prouincial, till the 14. of Ianuary, & came not to London, till about the 12 so could haue no hand in these pretended Letters, dated on 1. or 2. as you say. But more of these letters, on the next §.

You seem quite thorough your fabulous Narratiue to represent S. Omers, as the center of all Iesuits Transactions & Letters. Those from or for London, Bru­ges, Brusselles, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Vienna, Valladolid, &c. all passe that way. For what reason I know not, vnlesse it were, because that great man, you Mr. Titus Oates, was there: for all who know S. Omers, know there is scarse a con­siderable town in the low country's worse serued with Letters, then that, whilest it was vnder the Obedience of the Spaniards. Which is in som manner amended since it changed its Master; yet still it yeilds to most other townes of the same bignesse in certaine & speedy correspondence. Nether can you pretend it should be in consideration of the Colledg, seing that of Liege take places of it. But you were at S. Omers & as the loadstone draws Iron, soe you drew all correspon­dence to you.

Narrat. p. 10. §. 16. On the 3. of Ianuary in the after noon when the Letters aboue mentioned came from England E. Neuil, & Th. For nor in the Iesuits library at S. Omers, sayd: they would not let. . . . . the King go to his Graue in Peace, & that the Duke's Pasport was ready when be should appear to sail them.

Obseru Seing you heard these words when the Letters were receiued, you neuer heard them, for there were no such Letters. see Attest. E. K. Q.

Your vntruths in this & the precedent article doe interfere. These Letters were written at London, on the 1. or 2. let it be on the 1. it must be on the 2. [Page 38]early before they left London, & you say here they were receiued on the 3. at S. Omers, in the morning for on the afternoon you heard that discourse after their receipt. Now I appeal to the Post-Officers, whether Letters goe at that rate, as to be in little more then 24. houres carryed from London to S. Omers. Vnlesse you will pretend that the Jesuits vsed some winged Mercury or Eastern Pigeons, for their Messengers. And if we consider that Letters from London are dated always according to the old stile, & days counted at S. Omers according to the new, those Letters dated on the 1. or 2. & receiued on the third must haue been receiued 8. or 9. days before they were written. What think you, sir, Are not these pretry fables to trouble the world with?

Narrat. p. 10. §. 17. Letters were sent by Richard Ashby & seuen other Iesuits of S. Omers, & by F. Williams, & two others of Watten to the Emperour's Confessor to acquaint the Emperour that the K. of England had treatherously plotted the ruin of the Confederates, & the German Empire especially, that he had sticred vp the Hungarian Rebels, & found them mony to go on with their Rebellion, &c.

Obseru. There neuer was any such Letters or Letter as you mention. Not one of all those named by you euer receiued, or sent any Letter from or to the Emperour's Confessor. see Attest. E. K. O. Q And we need no further disproof of this fable then to see so many Iesuits writing the same Letters: which is a transcendental fiction.

Narrat. pag. 11. §. 18. Letters from Talbot Arch Bp. of Dublin exprest the vigilancy of Iesuits in Ireland to prepare People to rise. That in case of war with France a place should be open to receiue the French army, & that E. N. & W. B. carryed this intelligence to F. Leshee.

Obseru. All this is false. All the Iesuits of S. Omers vnanimously protest they neuer heard of any Letters but by the Narratiue: & none went to Paris, on any such account. see Attest. E.

Narrat p. 12. §. 19. Letters subscribed by Thom. White, turned the speeches of his Majesty, & the Lord Chancellour, & the votes of Parliament into Burlesque, & gaue notice that Pickering's attempt vpon the King miscarryed, the flint of his pistol being Loose. Whose negligence afflicted them all.

Obseru. I wonder you did not say, that Mt. White writ Lamentations on so dolefull a subject as that miscarriage was: but that in such a dolefull conjuncture he should be so pleasant, is very extraordinary to all, who know how far he was always from that Ioaking Leuity. The meane while both points of this Letter were as greate news to the Iesuits at S. Omers, as to any in England, for not one of them euer heard of them, till you began to deceiue the world with your Periuryes.

Narrat. p. 13. §. 20. Charles Peters on the 29. of Ianuary spoke treasonable words of the late King Charles I.

Obseru. Here is another of your groundlesse Periuryes. see Attest. O. The sayd Mr. Peters protests he neuer heard nor dreamt of that foul Calumny till he saw your Narratiue. Which confirmes me in that opinion, that these storyes you had from your Father during the troubles, which now you spreade vnder the name of Iesuits, to make them odious, & the Royal family contemptible. Let those to whome it belongs consider, whither this be suffrable in a Kingdom.

In your following Items 21.22.23. & 24 we haue nothing but your cold Cabbadge serued vp againe, more Letters containing like treasonable matters. Against all stand our old exceptions: that neuer were any such Letters written Were euer any such Letters intercepted? were euer any such found? or any thing. like them? no. after two yeares & a halfes search the world is as far from any lyght as at first: & all still relyes on your worthlesse word, or more worthlesse Oath. All persons named to haue ether written or receiued those Letters protest they neuer heard any thing of them but from you. Soe I will score them all vp together amongst your Periuryes: & passe to your 25. § where there is some­thing new.

Narrat. p. 16. §. 25. Th. White, & other Iesuits writ a Letter on the 10. of March, in which were very reproachfull contemptible expressions of the Clergy.

Obseru. You throw here an Apple of Discord on purpose to sow Diuision betwixt the Clergy & the Society. But you will misse of your aim: for the words beare so euidently the Caracter of your wit, that we need not seek their Authour. Nether Mr. White, nor Iesuit euer spoke such words or entertained such vndervaluing thoughts of that great Body, in which are many men ad­mirable for learning & virtu, who by their infatigable labours haue eminently deserued of God, the Church, & their country. Hence I am perswaded none of them euer harbour'd any suspicion of such words being really spoken being conscious of their own worth, & that they are aboue such vnworthy reproa­ches, which none can easily beleiue were truly sayd of them, but who think they deserue them. Had you moderated your Malice, & mollified your ex­pressions, you had found more credit, & by aiming at lesse hurt, would haue done more. Whereas by ouerdoing the thing you haue don iust nothing; & your Calumny like the spe are in the fables cures the wound it makes.

Besides this, we haue those generall exceptions against this pretended Letter First that many Iesuits signed it, & secondly, that none aliue euer heard of it, but out of the Narratiue. see Attest. E.

Narrat. p. 16. §. 26. The Deponent saw a Letter from Th. White, mentioning [Page 40]that Attempts had been made to assasfinate the King in the Park, & on his way to the Parliament by William, & Pickering, but opportunity did not offer it self: for which the former was chidden, the later had twenty strokes with a Discipline.

Obseru. Here is another sleeuelesse fable, of which no body euer heard, but by your Narratiue. I defire you to giue the world a reason, why William should only be Chidden, & Pickering whipt? or vpon what score Mr. White should be more meek to one, ouer whom he had iurisdiction, then another ouer whom he had none? For William was you say his man, & Pickering, was of another order. Again, why should he be angry with them if opportunity did not offer its self? If you had sayd, an opportunity presented it self, & was let slip, you had sayd something which myght displease a man so hot vpon that design as you describe M. White to be. I suppose in the fuller account, you threaten the world with, you will correct this absurdity, as you haue done al­ready some others, in this.

To this I find no reply, but only in I. P. that Pickering was vnder the hire of the Iesuits, & in Anonimus, that he was, a bigotted Preist. Which are as much to the purpose, as Grantham steeple to Godwinsanas, althô granted to be tru: when really they are false: for Pickering was not Preist; but a Lay-Brother, & neuer was taken from the Chappel by Iesuits.

Narrat. p. 17. §. 27. Letters from T. White, & others of the 5. of April, gaue an account, that W. M. & M. L. were returned from Ireland: who sayd 40000. Irish horse & foot were ready to rise at ten days warning: that many Persons had recei­ued Commissions from the General of the Iesuits. And that the Prouincial summoned a Ge­neral Consult, to be held at London. And that the Deponent was summoned to assist at it, as a Messenger from Father to Father.

Obseru. You haue not a word of Truth in all this Item, except the calling of the Congregation which was not don in April but in March, to the end, those who were at a great distance myght prepare for the Iourny: so euen in that you embroder a ly vpon a tru ground. F. Louel neuer was in Ireland: nor F. Morgan in that, or the two precedent yeares The 40000. men were neuer any where, but in your addle head, & false Narratiue. It would haue cost you no more to haue put 400000. & all had been alike tru. Of the Commissions I shall speak here after. Of the Congregation, in the following Chapter.

CHAPTER V. Of the Congregation.

THere hauing been an account giuen to the publick of this Congregation, (which you impertinently call a Consult,) & no exception made against any part of it, as I am sure none can with Truth: I will giue a summary of it, which shall ground our tru Answers to your vntruths.

Prouincial Congregations all ouer the Society are held euery three yeares by their respectiue Prouincials. And the yeare 1678. was of course assigned for them. So the Congregation was nothing peculiar to England, for the same time like Congregations were held all ouer Europe in each Prouince of the Iesuits. And the like Congregations haue been held by the English Iesuits euery three yeares, since they were a Prouince by themselues, & will be, as long, as they continue so, vnlesse some very extraordinary thing hinder it.

The intent of these Congregations is exprest in these words of their Consti­tutions: Ad eligendos tertio quoque anno Procuratores. Formulâ Congreg. Prou. c. 1. p. 51. to choose one whom they cal Procurator to go to Rome, to inform their General of their priuate affayres. For Confirmation of this I appeal to the Constitutions of the Iesuits which are in the hands of many Protestants & may be found in S. Paule's Church yard (as I hear) & to the Testimony of any Iesuit liuing.

The number of which it is Composed is not to exceede forty: which is made vp out of first the actuall superiors; secondly the Procurators of the Prouince: thirdly, so many of the ancientest Profest Fathers, as with the others make vp that number. And of iust so many that held in 1678. was composed.

This Congregation had but two meetings on the 24. & 26. of April, stilo veteri. And seuerall of those who met, on that very day 26. of April left the town: all hastned away assoon as possible. The Rector of Liege had the lon­gest Iourny, yet was at that place on the 16. May stil [...] vet. (as may be seen by the Day book of that Colledg) althô he had a very slow passage by sea, stayd one whole day at Roterdam, another at Antwerp, & a third at Brussels.

The truth of all these particulars concerning the Congregation will be at­tested by all those, who were present at it, & are still aliue. I now return to reuiew what lyes our Deponent frames on this occasion.

Narrat. p. 18. §. 28. April the 24. 1678. stil. nou. F Warren, Rector of Liege, Sir Th. Preston Baronet, F. Marsh Rector of Gant, F. Williams Rector of Watten, [Page 42] Sir Iohn Warner Baronet, Sir Robert Bret Baronet, F. Poole, Edward Neuil, in all with the Deponent about nine or ten, went from S. Omers towards London.

Obseru. Here you giue vs almost as many vntruths, as words. For first the Rector of Liege was not of the number, nor neer S. Omers. At Antwerp he took shipping for Holland see Attest. I.

2. Sir Thomas Preston neuer stirred all that time from Liege. see Attest. H.

3. Sir Iohn Watner remained at Watten, & supplyed the Rector's place. see Attest. F.

4. Sir Robert Bret, F. Pool, Edward Neuil, & you Mr. Oates, continued at S. Omers see Attest. D. E X.

I think it superfluous to mind the Reader of your contradiction in relating your fellow trauellors, hauing conuinced you of so many Periuryes already. How in Colman's trial p. 29. you make Pool a monk & one Charges of the number, yet I am assured there are no such men in the world. And you made of two Rectors four men, (or else your Arithmetick is like your sincerity) for soe you reckon: The Rector of Liege, F. Warren, the Rector of Watten, F. Williams. And you say they were nine, & vnlesse these two make four, there will be but se­uen. I intend cheifly to examin your Narratiue, & soe passe that ouer.

Narrat. p. 18. §. 28. These met in London in Consult with Iohn Fenwick, F. Blundel, F. Gray, & others, to the number of Fifty Iesuits, at the White horse Tauerne in the strand.

Obseru. Here you Depose three vnthruths. The 1. that these three Person I named were of the Congregation. Not one of them was there.

The 2. that there were Fifty Iesuits. There was only forty, & according to their Constitutions could be no more. Form. Cong. Prou.

The 3. that they met as the White-horse Tauerne. They are all ready to swear they neuer met there: seuerall haue protested to me they did not know of any such Tauern in the strand till you informed them of it.

Narrat. Ibidem. At which Consult held in the month of May the Deponent was present to attend the Consulters, & deliuered their Concerns from Company to Company.

Obseruat. You aduance two vntruths here. One that the Consult, as you ca [...] it, was held in May. It was ended on the 26. of April. And very many of those assembled were at their respectiue Residences before May.

Another vntruth, is that you were there: you were all that time at S. Ome [...] How you haue altred your story! Colman's triall p. 20. By a Patent from Iesuits yo [...] were of the Consult. Now you are cited only by the common Letter, & are not o [...] it but attend it as Letter carryer. It is strang the Iesuits, whose fac totum & gran [...] Agent you were, should employ your rare talents in so mean an office, whic [...] [Page 43]any boy, or common Porter would haue done! Or that your hygh spirit did not disdain that employment! But it seemes you would rather play small game, then sit out: so finding your story of the Patent, & your being of the Consult ridi­culous, you thrust your self vpon it, as a mean Attendant. But if this were all your employment; what need of your calling from beyond seas? Those who had trusted Treasonable Letters so long together to Common Posts & their Factors, myght haue trusted these Concerns to the first Porter they met: or haue made vse of Honest William, or aukward Pickering, or some of those thousands, whom they had engaged in the Plot. I desire you to satisfy these doubts.

Narrat. Ibidem. A little after, they left the White-horse Tauern, & diuided themselues into soueral clubs, or Companys. All which did contriue the death of the King.

Obseru. You are so puzzled with studying to hammer out your Fables, that your head is giddy. Iust now, the Consultors were diuided into Companys in the Tauern, & you were busyed in carrying their Concerns from company to Company. The next line, they diuided into Companys, after they left the Tauern. But the real Truth is, they neuer diuided into, or met in seueral Companys, that being against the nature of a Congregation according to all Orders; & what soeuer had been in that nature acted, had been ipso facto null.

But what a fit subiect to deliberate on, doe you, the Taske-Master ap­point them! you relate the King's death, as a thing resolued on about a twelue-month before, that all their Letters to France, Flandres, Spaine, Italy, Germany, Scotland, Ireland, & seuerall parts of England, spoke of it, as a thing resolued on: That men were hired to effect it by Pistol, by Gun, by Dagger, by Poyson: That some of these Ruffians had been punisht for not performing what they had vn­dertaken. After all this, as Consult, forsooth is called Fifty of the Prime Iesuits summoned to meet, to resolue it. Iust as in som Barbarous nations, a man suspected is hanged, & then his cause examined, to see whether it were well don. When I consider our Nation capable to be imposed vpon by such ridiculous storys, I am half ashamed to own my self of it.

Narrat. Ibidem. Within three or four days after, the Deponent went to S. Omers with the Fathers, that came from the other side of the Water.

Obser. You could not return with them, first because you were not in England all that time. Secondly because those Fathers did not return together. The Rectors of Liege & Watten returned immediatly to their seueral stations, the one by France, the other by Holland. He of Gant stayd some days in England but far from London. And these three were all that came from beyond seas to the Congregation.

Thus much of the Congregation. The truth of the more essential parts, is [Page 44]euidenced by the Attestations already drawn vp. The rest will be by others, when called for: there being not one word related by me, which is not known to many, who will depose it vpon Oath, when required.

To this Chapter of the Congregation I find little to the purpose, in these two Pamphlets, excepting rayling in P. & very disingenious representing my mind by Anonimus. Only the first p. 26. vrges that seing the meeting was not at the white-horse Tauern, the Iesuits should discouer where it was. And the later pag. 28. says a Traitor, & an English man are direct contradictions.

To the first I answer, I do not beleiue the Iesuits will satisfy his curiosity in that it would be an ill requital of the fauour receiued from him, who did not refuse their meeting vnder his roofe, which would render him obnoxious to a violent malicious Faction. It is enough for our purpose, that by shewing the meeting was not at the white horse Tauern, we conuince Oates's Periury in swearing it was there, & that he neuer was at it, seing he knows not where it was.

To the second, I answer it were happy for England that his words were tru, & that that Land had as great an Antipathy to Traytors as Ireland to venemous beasts. But sure he was in a dream when he writ this: & velut aegri somnia vanae finguntur species. Or else he dropt newly out of Viopia, & hearing all speak much of Loyalty (and those cheifly who are most disloyal in their harts) took all for gold that glisters. Were they not Englishmen, & euen the Repre­sentatiue of all English men, the Parliament, who waged war on friuolous pretexts, against the Late King? And were they not Traitors? And are not those who in all appearance endeauour to act ouer againe the like tragedy, English men? Nay do they not arrogate to themselues that title, as peculiarly du to them, whilest they terme themselues tru Patriots, & blast all Loyall men with the odious names of Courtiers, Pensioners, &c? What opinion hath this good man of his Readers, who dares aduance such Paradoxes contrary to all sense, & experience, as if vpon his credit, we should beleiue it were bryght day at mid­night! well: my vindication stands secure enough as long as it cannot be im­pugned but by such non sense.

CHAPTER VI. What hapned after his returne to S. Omers, till he left that place.

NArrat. p. 19. §. 29. Th. White came to S. Omers on the 10. of Iune 1678 & on the 11. spoke Treasonable words against the King & Duke, in the presence of Rich. Ashby.

Narrat. pag. 19. §. 30. Th. White told Rich. Ashby a minister had endeauoured to render Iesuits odious, by Englishing their Morals, & the Prouincial sent the Deponent to England to kill the Translator, which the Deponent vndertook to do, hauing 50. l. reward promissed him by the sayd Prouincial. And the Prouincial sayd, hee & the Society London would procure the death of Dr. Stilling fleet, & Pool.

Obseru. All this was spoken by Mr. White in the presence of R. Ashby, & your self. Now the two first are gon to receiue their reward for their Actions & suffrings in the other world. Yet the dying speech of the former iustifyes him, & the later before his death signed an Attestation that all this is false. See At­test. E.

Narrat. p. 19. §. 30. R. Ashby told the Deponent that the Rector of Liege, when he was Procurator at Paris, did reconcile the late Lord Chancelour Hyde vpon his death bed.

Obseru. When your Narratiue first appeared, this was news to all Iesuits in the World. The Rector of Liege declared, he neuer had the honour to see that Lord in his life: althô he would always haue been ready to do him any seruice.

Narrat. p. 20. §. 32. On the 23. of Iune, the Deponent was sent for England, to attend the Motions of the Fathers in London, with 4. l. for his charges, & a promise of 80. l. for his seruices in Spaine, & else where, &c.

Obseruat. Your Memory is as bad, as your Will. For not only in Ireland's triall pag. 20. but in the foregoing page of this Narratiue, you told vs, you were designed to kill the Translator of the Iesuits morals, with a promise of 50. l. if you did it. Now that Commission is forgotten, & the Reward too: and another pitcht vpon, to attend the motion of the Fathers. Tru it is, they did lend or giue you 4. l. to bear your charges to London, ether out of Compassion to a man, who myght otherwise haue starued by the way, or vpon your promise to repay it, when you sold your library. Whitebreads tryal. p. 43. But it is false, they recommended any businesse to you, besides the care of your saluation, which they thought you stood in need of. It is also fals they euer promist you 80. l. or that you euer did them any seruice in Spaine, except it was in exercising their Patience, by your vnsufferable manners, & Conuersation. You arriued at Valladolid on the 1. of Iune, 77. betwixt four & fiue in the euening, from which time till October the 18. (when schooles began) you did nothing, but eate, drink, & sleep. Then you went to Logick school till being found incorrigible, on the 30. of October following you were dismist. What seruices here are to deserue a Reward!

For a further proofe of your lack of sincerity, in this Relation. Many still aliue can witnesse, that things past in a far different manner betwixt you, & [Page 46]Mr. White. This good man, being Prouincial, & arriuing at S. Omers, receiued an humble addresse, from you to be admitted into the Society. He had then no acquaintance with, & but little knowledg of you: yet that little did not re­commend you much. So for that time he dismist you, with some good words in general, & some good aduice: & took time to informe vpon the place of your behauiour. This he quickly found to haue been intolerable as well to su­periours, as to equalls: your words offensiue, your carriage insolent, your whole life irreligious without any sign of the fear of God, or respect of men much better then your self. He found, you had often been admonisht to correct these faults; but in vain, for the hopes of your amendment vanisht, assoon as the fear of a present dismission was past, althô with whining faces, great exteriour submission, & sober protestations, you had promist amendment, & had profred to submit to any correction, they should enjoin for what was past. But of this last, superiours made no other vse, then to comfort themselues with hopes, that you myght be at last brought to a more Christian disposition: for they would not permit, you should vndergo the Pennance inflicted on Children, althô you seemingly desired it, & really deserued it.

The mean while, in discourse with some aliue to whome you discouered your desires of being a Iesuit, they giuing you little encouragement to hope for good successe, as indeed those who knew you, had reason, you sayd: I shall ether be a Iesuit or a Iudas. And to another you sayd: If am not a Iesuit I shall be damned. When the Prouincial had informations as far, as was necessary to frame a Iudgment of your good parts & qualitys, he caused you to be called to his Chamber, & hauing told you what was blamed in you, & aduised you to be for the future more considerate in your words, & ciuil in your behauior, otherwise you would draw on your selfe some Mischiefe or at least be vnfit for any ciuil Company, he told you he thought it not conuenient to admit you into the society. This refusall you took as a great affront don to a man of your parts, that after all your hypocritical insinuations you should be reiected: So in a great Passion you sayd: By the liuing God, I will be reuenged. The nyght before you went from S. Omers, you were found vpon the Altar in the Sodality Church, with your armes streched out. And being asked what you did there, at that vn­seasonable time? (it was late.) you answerd: I am taking my leaue of Iesus Christ. Vpon this I will make no Commentarys, nor guesse at your meaning, or inten­tion; but only relate, as an extrauagant Action, as indeed all yours are: & I am of opinion, that those, who conuerse with you in England, since your return thither, can encrease this legend, if they please.

By this manner of your commission from S. Omers, the Reader will easily see [Page 47]how falsse all your following relations are, of the Confidence of Iesuits with you, & their communicating their Letters, & Treasonable Designs to you. (see Attest. X.) So this myght serue for a generall answer. Yet I will follow you.

My Anonimus freind touches this Chapter p. 29. very gingerly, as being afraid to burn his fingers. J. P. like a man of more mettle falls on most des­perately but to as little purpose: for hauing endeauoured to diuert his Reader with S. Francis wife, & stop my mouth with a Rasher of Bacon, he very grauely assures all I say, of his demanding to be admitted into the Society is fabulous, because our Attestations assure he was admitted into the Colledge six months before. I perceiue he makes no distinction betwixt being admitted, as Scholler into that Seminary, & being admitted into the Society, as if all the schollers were Iesuits. Whereas not one of the schollers ether is, or euer was one: & many neuer had the least thought ofentring into the Society. This he might haue learnt of his freind, & client Mr. Oates, had he desired to know the truth. The Reader may by this grosse errour learn how little these men regard what they say, whilest they contradict vs.

What I sayd here is tru, & our Attestations are tru too: & one truth cannot destroy another, though one falshood doth, as we find in Oates's Depositions. He entred the Seminary at S. Omers on the tenth of December 1677. as a Schol­ler, & continued so, till Iune following He pretended then to be admitted into the Society, & demanded it of the then Prouincial. Who refused it, as thinking him vnfit, not only for the Society; but also for the Colledge it self & the Schollers; & for that reason ordred him to be sent away out of the Colledge. If I. P haue any common sense, he will vnderstand this; if not, I know not how to help him.

But he thinks it ill done of the Prouincial to dismisse Oates, who had declared, he should turn Iudas, & be damned, if he were not receiued. Answer: the Proui [...]cial had little probability to hope for better, if he were admitted, finding no amendment after so many admonitions, which gaue more reason to fear he would, if admitted, preiudice others, then to hope he would mend himself Had he been admitted, his bad manners would haue oblidged him to turn him out, how much more will it excuse his non admission? Doth not our B. Sauiour in his Ghospel order the stocking vp of the barren tree, & cutting off the fruitlesse branches of the vine? Did he not reiect a man, as vnfit to be his Disciple, who hauing put his hand to the plow, looked back? Lu. 9.62. Did not the Apostles & Apostolicall men of the Primitiue Church re­trench from its body, with the Award of Excommunication such persons, as defiled it by their wicked life? Do not all communitys endeauour to purge [Page 48]out such, as will not liue Peaceably with the rest? How then can the Prouin­cial be blamed for an Action, the lawfulnesse whereof such a cloud of witnesses attest.

CHAPTER VII. What he relates since his return to London Concerning Iesuits from §. 33. to §. 53. inclusiue.

NArrat. p. 21. §. 33. in Iuly R. Ashby came to London with Instructions how to dispose of the 10000. l. procured by F. Leshee: & that he should treat with Sir Georg Wakeman to poison the King. Item to procure that the Bishop of Hereford be assassinated.

Obseru. R. Ashby before his death declared all this to be falsse. see Attest. E. And indeed had there been any such thing, how improbable is it, that he should communicate it to you, whom by the Prouincial's order, he had disgracefully, dismist, & who since your return into England had giuen new proofes of a vici­ous & malicious life & malicious disposition?

Narrat. p. 22. §. 34. You giue vs a long pretended discourse of R. Strange about the burning of London. You tell vs, as from his mouth, what hand the Iesuits, the Dominicans, & others had in it: & what plunder they got.

Obseru. In all this article, there is not one word of Truth. see Attest. G.

You still pretend great intimacy with Iesuits: althô many can witnesse, that since your dismission from S. Omers your addresses were as of a poor miserable man to beg some releif: which som of them afforded you, according to their power, sometimes out of compassion, sometimes out of fear, least you should return to the Ministry to get bread. Ireland's trial p. 33. you went also begging to Pickering Sir G. W. S. trial. p. 73. & he bid the mayd shut the dore vpon you. much you knew such a design, & we vse you in that manner!

Narrat. p. 25. §. 35. R. Ashby before he went to the Bath had a conserence with many Iesuits (you name seuen & say there were others) to send messengers into Sco­tland to promote the commotions there. At which conference the Deponent was present.

Obseru. R. Ashby before his death protested all this is falsse. Soe Doth F. Blundel, one whom you name also, as present. see Attest. E.

Narrat. p. 26. §. F. Harcourt told F. Ashby he would doe well after the bath, to make a progresse into Somersetshire.

Obseruat. F. Ashby before his death protested all this is fals. see Attest. E. Indeed a man Bedrid, as he was, was not very fit to make Progresses.

Narrat. p. 26. §. 37. On the first of August came Letters from T. White breade to Iohn Fenwicke, to treat with sir G. W. about the concern of poysoning the King.

Obseru. The dying speeches of those two worthy & loyal men are an abun­dant conuiction of this vntruth.

Narrat. pag. 37. §. 38. Th. White writ to London to I. Ferwick, that be had ordred twelue Iesuits to go for Holland, to inform the Dutch that the P. of Orange intended to make himselfe King. But they got no further then Watten, by reason of a mischance on the way. Which Letter the Deponent saw.

Obseru. Your Periury is Malicious & Ridiculous. Malicious in charging such an odious businesse on the Jesuits. Ridiculous in supposing that the English Iefuits haue ether credit or acquaintance with any of the states of Holland: who would rather haue thought the quite contrary, had any Iesuit told it them. Again what mischance could (naturally) befall twelue Iesuits in the way to Watten from S. Omers, & that so great, as to diuert a businesse of that concern, in case they had resolued it? The day book of Watten shews that on that day 31. Iuly 1678. not one stranger, Iesuit, or other, lodged there. Mr. Th. White was then at Liege: whence he let out on the 9. of August for Louen so could not write from S. Omers? The certain truth is, the Iesuits neuer had any such design: there were no Iesuits nor Iesuit sent about it: there neuer that year were at S. Omers at once six Iesuits, who could be spared from the Seminary vpon any design. And lastly they would neuer haue shewed you that Letter, you being by that time well known.

Narrat. p. 27. §. 39. Th White in a Letter of the 10. of August, acquainted the Fathers in London, that Ireland was arriued at S. Omers. And blamed them for not acquainting him, how Sir G. W. liked the Proposall. Which Letter Blundel showed the Deponent.

Obseru. Blundel protests he neuer heard of any such Letter. see Attest. E. At that time, when you say Mr. Ireland arriued at S. Omers, he was setting out from London for Staffordshire, or actually on his way. And White was on that betwixt S. Trons, & Louen: so it is very improble he should write Letters.

Narrat. p. 28 § 40. Th. White writ that 365. should lye as low as ever 666. did, & if Poyson would not take the K. away, fire should: for Catholick Religion would neuer flourish, vnlesse IHS. tooke this course. Now 365. is put for Westminster, 666. for London, & IHS. for Iesuits, they vsing it always.

Obseru. No English Iesuits euer vsed any such Cypher. see Attest. C. so this whole §. is euidently a Periury.

Natrat. p. 28. § 41. I Fenwick told the Deponent that the Iesuits, haue 6000. l. per àn. & 100000. l. in bank: & lend mony at 50. per cent. &c.

Obseru. Here is a great vntruth, without any proof, but your only word. It would almost empty the two greatest priuate purses in England to make vp, what the Iesuits want of that sum, as I am assured. And were Iesuits so voyd of conscience & shame, as to demand 50. per cent, I am perswaded there are none so voyd of sense, as to giue it.

Narrat p. 29. §. 42. Four Iesuits sayd, they were resolued to rayse a Commotion in England, & Scotland, which also by seueral Letters shewd to the Deponent in Au­gust appeared.

Obseru. Here you aduance another vntruth, without any sign of Truth. Produce any one of those many Letters, for Publick satisfaction: which you would not haue let passe out of your hands, seing you were engaged all the first part of August in composing your Narratiue, it hauing been, as you say, on the 13. of that month presented to his Maiesty. What a commotion you haue ray­sed in England all the World sees. How will you answer this, if you cannot le­gally proue one word of your Deposition? will your spyght against Iesuits iustify all Periuryes, disturbances of the nation, & breaking the publick Peace? Hath the hatred of the Iesuits the vertu, of the tru loue of God to couer all sins? 1. Pet. 4.8. If not, you are in danger

Narrat. p. 29. §. 43. F. Moore & F. Sanders, alias Brown were sent to Sco­tland to preach to the disaffected Scots, &c.

Obseru. whom you mean, God knows, for no Iesuit that I can hear of knows any of those names: nor of any English Iesuit sent to preach in Scotland.

Narrat. p. 29. §. 44. The Iesuits purchase secrets to send to P. Leshee, & Keep in see the Clerks of Parliament, & Counsil, to that intent.

Obseru. All this is fals. Neuer any Iesuits in England kept correspondence ether directly or indirectly with P. de la Chaize. And it is needlesse to keep Clerks in fee, whilest the common Coffee houses, those Nurseryes of sedition, stand.

Narrat. p. 30. §. 45. These Iesuits driue seueral trades in town as Marchants, Tobacconists, Goldsmiths, scriueners: by some scriueners they discouer Men's estates; by others, their Religion. Which the Deponent heard from Iohn Keynes.

Obseru. I. Keynes is not so weak as to tell such vntruth what Probabi­lity is there that Men who haue past 20. or 25 yeares poring on a book should be fit for such trades? Or that some scriueners should Keep Registers of men's Religion? Heretofore some, as giddy headed, as your self, sayd all Redcoates were Iesuits: you now say tradesmen are such. I expect, that some other one day will say the same of all the Citty & country.

Narrat. p. 30. §. 46. Letters from S. Omers exprest great Ioy, that Sir G. W. had taken the businesse in hand. Yet ordred that Pickering & William should not desist.

Obseru. It is falsse that euer Sir G. W. vndertook that businesse as appeares by the Publick verdict of the Jury at his triall. It is falsse that Pickering, or William euer designed any such thing, as appeared by their dying speeches: & it is falsse there euer was any such Letter, by Protestation of the Iesuits of S. Omers. see Attest. E.

Narrat. p. 31. §. 47. Because William Berry was about to print something in Vindication of the Oaths, B. Langworth, & others Iesuits offred 10. l. to the De­ponent to get him killed.

Obseru. The Iesuits neuer thought themselues much concerned in what Wil­liam Berry did or could do. His vnconstant Nature appeares by his frequent changes, first a Protestant Minister, then a Papist, after a Iesuit, them a secular, then a Protestant Minister, then pretended Catholick, & Penitent. And what next God knows. He professes he thinks himself able to inuent a wiser Religion, then ether Protestancy, or Popery. He was once stark mad: & is euer since cracked. You shew in this point something of gratitude: He brought you first to some Iesuits, & represented you as a considerable person, who had lost much for your Religion, & was in danger on that score: to requite this courtesy, you bring him to Protestants, & to recommend him by the same topick, you framed this lye, representing him as a considerable man, vpon whose head the Iesuits had put a Tally. Thus these two scabby Creatures claw one another!

Narrat. p. 31. §. 48. Richard Heath a Lay brother of the Iesuits held treasonable discourse of the King.

Obseru. There nether is at present, or hath been these last ten yeares, any Richard Heath of the society. There is indeed one Heath; but he hath been at Liege euer since the 2. of Ianuary 1678. so could not speak in your hearing in London, on the 9. August of that year.

Narrat. p. 31. §. 49. Iohn Groues gaue the Deponent an account of the firing of Southwark as don by [...]im, & Thre Irishmen, whom Dr. Fogorthy procured. That the Iesuits got 2000. l. by it & gaue 1000. to the Agents. Which R. Strange acknowledged.

Obseru. Here we haue a blank accusation to be filled by any man, whom you, or another as malicious, shall mark out for ruin. Groues, Fogorthy are dead, the one in prison, the other executed: both protested their Innocency to their last breath. The same doth Ric. Strang. see Attest. G.

Narrat. p. 32. §. 50. F. Ireland on the 17. of August. stil. nou. writ from S. Omers, &c.

Obseru. How could F. Ireland write from S. Omers on that day, when he was in company of Sir I. Southcot & his family, on the way to Tixhal, & went on that [Page 52]very day from Northampton, to Couentry? see Attest. T.

Narrat. Ibidem, & p. 33. §. 52. You giue an account of many treasonable Letters, written in Cyphers in which 48. stands for the King. Mum & chocolate, for the house of Lords: barley broth, for that of Commons: Magpyes for Bishops, &c.

Obseru. The Iesuits neuer had any Cypher. see Attest. C. since 1636. they they haue had no Cypher, but one, whereof a copy was taken with the Pro­uincial's Papers. To this I appeal for a further confutation of this vntruth.

Narrat. p. 35. §. 53. Smith, alay-brother of the Iesuits told the Deponent, as from Mr. Ienison, that if the Catholicks had courage enough, they myght rise, & cut the throates of 100000. Protestants in London.

Obseruat. Here you deliuer three Periurys: the first, that Smith is a Iesuit. He neuer was, nor is one.

The 2. that Ienison sayd those words. His discretion, peacable & quiet temper is well known to all, who knew him.

The 3. that such a Butcherey could be effected. This is a Bug beare fit to fryght only children, & fooles with. Protestants in number compared to Papists, are in London aboue two hundred, to one. And if we consider the aduantage of Authority, Armes, watches, & conueniences to meet, which are all on their side, we may reckon them 1000. nay ten thousand to one. Catholicks must be mad, if they entertain such a thought: & Protestants fooles, if they appre­hend it.

Anonimus vpon this chapter hath nothing worth answering. J. P. pag. 30. reproaches the Iesuits, that the Prouincial & Rector of Doway, as Thuanus writes, got one to Assassinate William of Orange. Whereas there neuer was such a thing, as the Prouincial of Doway. But suppose it were tru: what is that to the English Iesuits now aliue, who were not born when that hapned? Are all the Presbiterians Murtherers, because Poltrot killed a Prince neere Orleans.

Againe he thinks the pretended Doctor spoke too modestly, when he sayd the Iesuits had 60000. l. per Annum: & assures they haue 500000. l. It would haue cost him little more paines, to haue added three ciphers more, & made it amount to neer the revenues of the whole nation & both would haue been alike tru.

P. 31. he wonders I should say, there is no Moore or Sanders aliàs Brown, amongst the Iesuits, the names being so common, that a number of nine cannot be found without them. The meane while I stand to what I sayd, there are none of those names amongst the Iesuits: so there may be, & is, a company of 100. without them.

He concludes the chapter p. 32. with these words: the rest of the Chapter [Page 53]is so ridiculous, that I passe it ouer, as being vnwilling to tire the Reader with Imperti­nencys, that may be anoyded. Which is the tru reason, why I passe by the rest of his reflections.

CHAPTER VIII. What he relates concerning Iesuits, & others, from §. 54. to. 81. inclusiuè.

NArrat. p. 35. §. 54. Medburn, Penny, Mannock, Sharp, Seddon, Smith, Euerard: Iones, Kemmash, at a Club, sayd the house of Commons was the De­uil's representatiue, not the Nations: the Deponent was ordred by the Iesuits to giue them great Respects, & thanks in their Names.

Obseru. You bring new Persons on the stage, & shew that all your Malice is not spent vpon Iesuits; but shew you haue store enough for others, euen for the whole Nation, which many others haue experienced, & more will find, if you are permitted to go on, as you haue begun. This story is a ridiculous vntruth 1. because the club would little value Iesuits thanks 2. because Iesuits would neuer giue any commission to you. 3. because all is false.

Narrat. p. 36. § 55. Ienison sayd that if the K. did not become R. C. (Roman Ca­tholik) he should not long be C. R.

Obseru. This a groundlesse vntruth. Yet had he sayd any such thing, it had been because of Presbiterians; not of Papists. None but such, as are willfully blind can misse that Party, which endangers Monarky it self. What character K. Iames in his Basilicon doron gaue of the Presbiterians all know: Which is by their vn interrupted seditious practices confirmed. Whither these do not boad the down fall of Monark, if not preuented in time, I leaue the Cousidering world to Iudge, & those, to prouide a remedy, whom it concerns. For in fine, let them affect the voice of la ob neuer so much, their hand are still the hands of Esau.

Narrat. p. 36. §. 56. A packet from the Prouincial, the Rector, Procurator, Fathers, & masters of Humanity of S. Omers, specifyed, that the twelue Iesuits were got into Holland, to cause a commotion there & that Apple-tree Will (that is the P. of Oran­ge) should not be great.

Obseru. to make your impertinence more conspicuous, you should haue sayd, that the lay brothers, their seruants, & their great Dog had written too. It is false, that any went into Holland And it is false that any English Iesuits called Persons of that hygh ranke of the P. of Orange by such a name.

Narrat. p. 37. §. 57. I Fenwick told the Deponent, he had written to S. Omers, [Page 54] that the K. was gon to Windsore, & that Honest William, & the Fathers, were ready to attend the court.

Obseru. You can aduance nothing without the mixture of an vntruth. His Majesty's Iourny being known to all the Kingdom, probably myght be put into a Letter. Yet that Fenwicke should write of William, or the Fathers following him, is false. As also, that Fenwicke euer communicated to you the contents of any Letter. He knew you: & that was enough.

Narrat. p. 37 §. 58 I. Keynes preacht a treasonable sermon, at which were present twelue men of quality.

Obseru. Here in a blank Accusation you lay a traine to blow vp any noble man, whom you, or others like you, shall hereafter mark out for destruction. It is only swearing that Noble-man was of the twelue, & his businesse is done. That vse was made of alike accusation of the four Ruffians, hired to kill the King: & the like we may see of this, if Periury continue Paramount, & knaues be rewarded.

Narrat. p. 38. §. 59. Keynes, & Fenwicke aduised a Gentleman in, or about Westminster, to remoue thence, least God should destroy him with the sinners of that Citty.

Obseru. That canting phrase, not vsed by Iesuits; but familiar to Oates, & Presbiterian Ministers, shewes whence it came. Keynes protests, he neuer sayd any such thing: & any man, who knows both, will take his word, before your Oath.

Narrat p. 38. §. 60. I Keynes sayd, it was endeauoured to dispatch 48. at Winsore. That Mr. Corker, & other Benedictins had promist 6000. l. for the Design. That two these owned it, & that their businesse was to remoue the Stuarts out of the way, & that Mr. Coniers layd 100. l. the King should not liue to eate any more Christ-masse-Pyes. &c.

Obseru. Now our Poet begins to bring the Benedictins on the stage, & next to Iesuits, they bear the greatest part, for what reason I know not, except it be because you desired earnestly to be admitted to their Holy order, & were by them refused. This was alleadged against Mr. Corker, & he was cleared by the verdict of the Court. Mr. Coniers I beleiue would submit to a tryall, if his Preist-hood myght be layd aside.

Narrat. p. 40. §. 61. Keynes took the Deponent to an assembly of the Domi­cans, where six were met in the name of the rest with their Prouincial, to comply with the Fathers of the Society. There met also fiue Iesuits. Keynes demanded of the Dominicans mony to carry on the business of Killing the King. The Dominicans answered they were poor? but would giue their assistance, & counsel. Hence the Deponent was sent with the [Page 55]proposals to the Carmelits: who answered, their Prayers to God, & our B. Lady should not be wanting: & that was all they could giue.

Obseru. Here are two whole Religious orders consisting of many vertuous men, made guilty of a most haynous crime vpon your worthlesse word, & more worthlesse Oath. Those who know, what emulations haue been, & still are, betwixt the two learned Orders, Dominicans, & Iesuits, will scarce beleiue that those should meet to comply with these. And no rational man will beleiue, that all those men should at first syght treat such things before you, a man vn­known, or too well known to be trusted with any thing.

Narrat. p. 41. §. 62. Blundel sayd, his Workemen wanted Oyle: by which is meant sheepes fat, Coniers sayd the Hill people were fooles to set vpon 48. at Windsore: but he would speak to his worship in other language, then in Tormentilio. But would burn his shirt, if it knew how.

Obseruat. Blundel neuer had any workmen. see Attest. S. And nether he, nor Coniers euer spoke such words.

Narrat. p. 42. §. 63. On the 21. of August. a Consult was held by Iesuits & Benedictins in London, about Letters from Talbot Arch Bishop of Dublin, which contained that four Iesuits had vndertaken to kill the D. of Ormond And if they fayled Fogorthy should succeed; And that a Legat in Ireland asserted the Popes ryght to that Kingdome.

Obseru. Here you present another blank accusation to be filled with any Benedictin, or Iesuit when you please. It was accordingly charged vpon Mr. Ireland, althô he was at Woluerhampton in Stafforshire on that very day. (see Attest. T.) & vpon Mr. Corker, of which he was, at this triall acquittted) as appeares by their seuerall tryals. Dr Fogorthy had Cured you of a venereal sicknesse, & you reward him with this Accusation, as Vipers bite the breast which warmes them. You say, you had this acount from Keynes & Blundel: & they both are ready to swear they had had it from your Narratiue, as neuer hauing heard of it, till this appeared.

Narrat. pag. 43 §. 64. That Fogarthy is a maine Agent in this Hellish Plot: was present when Sir G W was contracted with That he told the Deponent, he had hired the four Irish Ruffians, to mind the King's postures, at Windsore.

Obseru. We thought your attendance on D. Fogorthy, was to get your self cured of your fulsome disease; but it seemes it was to get informations of the Plot. If the other were intended, you haue payd off your Doctor compleatly: euen as you haue don the Jesuits, who releiued you in your want. Your whole report of the Pretended Consult, is one vntruth. The contract with Sir G. W. a second. The hiring of the four Ruffians, a third.

We haue seen what vse may be made of these blank Accusations. This, of the four Ruffians was filled by Ienison's naming four Innocent Persons, for no other reason, but that he myght get a false witnesse's reward where with to pay his debts, & supply his wants of mony. And who can assure himself, his name shall not shortly be inserted into some of the other blanks? It is euident to the whole world, that some Innocent Persons haue been accused, & con­demned, meerely because it pleased these King's Euidences. No man can be secure, who stands in the way of a Mad Dog, or an Impudent lying Witnesse, as long as the clamours of the Rabble are so lowd, that nether Iustice, nor Reason can be heard. Those are wisest, who embraced a voluntary Banishment, foreseing no security, as long as this Plague raignes. Let those who stayd be­hind, look to themselues as they can: they will neuer be secure, vntill you be gagged, or all credit denyed you.

Narrat. p. 44. §. 65. That the Deponent at Madrid had seen the Lord Embassador, Sir William Godolphin, at masse: & was personally informed by the Arch Bishop of Tuam, that the sayd Embassador holds great correspondence with that Arch-Bishop, & a Iesuit. That a Iesuit had read to him Philosophy, & Diuinity. That Swiman, a Iesuit in a Letter to the Deponent, of the 30. of Iuly new stile, did specify, that Sir William was as industrious as any Man could be, to answer the expectation of the Society.

Obseru. Here you giue vs as many Periuryes, as Periods. For 1. It is false, you euer were at Madrid. see Attest. A. B. L. N.

2. It is false, that you euer saw the Arch-Bishop of Tuam (see Attest A.) or F. Swiman.

3. It is false you euer had any discourse with ether of them. For all the time you were in Spain, they were not at Valladolid, nor you out of it.

4. It is false you euer saw Sir William at Masse: for he residing, according to his souueraign's order in Madrid, how could you see him, who neuer were there?

5. It is false, that Arch-bishop (the same of the Iesuit) euer had any cor­respondence concerning affaires of state with the sayd Lord Embassador. see Attest. A.

6. It is false, that euer F. Sviman writ any such Letter to the Deponent. J challenge you to produce, at lest that Letter, which being directed to your selfe, you myght without offence to any, or suspition, haue Kept. And it being written at Madrid on the 30. of Iuly, could not come to your hands till about the middle of August, that very time, or after it, when your Narratiue was presented to the King. It is incredible that you should make away such a Letter, which would be, at least, some Confirmation besides your word, [Page 57]of this great assayre, of which hitherto we haue seene no other ground, but that: your not shewing this Letter will be looked on as a conuiction, there neuer was any such.

Jf the Lord Arch-bishop of Tuam, or that Jesuit being subiects of the King of England, wayted on, & profred their seruice to his Majesty's Embassador, they did but their Duty. And if his Lordship receiued them ciuilly, hauing no expresse order to the contrary, I hope none are so barbarous, as to blame him for it, But that there euer past any intimate correspondence, chiefly relating to any Publick concern, it is absolutely false. see Attest. A.

Here I must take notice of the disingenuity of the Managers of the indict­ment of my Lord of Stafford, p. 30. & 31. of that trial; who produce one to proue, that Oates was at Valladolid. Which was neuer denyed by vs: althô Mr. Treby is pleased to say p. 31. it had been controuerted, whither he had euer been in Spaine. So if they cannot proue what we deny, they will make vs deny, what they can proue.

Narrat. p. 45. §. 66. On the 22. of August. in the name of the Prouincial, & the society, mony was sent by a seruant of theirs, to supply the Charges of the four Ruffians at Windsore. The sum was eyghty Pound, which the Deponent saw told.

Obseru. Here is another blank to receiue any man's name, for whom you, or your associats, shall haue a spyght. A seruant of theirs! such shall any man be, when you please. In the name of the whole Society! This you say to inuolue all in the guilt, althô had you had the thousanth part of that intimacy with Iesuits, to which you pretend, you would know, that the Prouincial alone is answerable for his actions, & none else.

But where was this mony told? on the 28. of Nouember, it was at Wildhouse (Coleman's trial p. 24.) on the 7. of December, it was at Harcourt's lodgings. (Ireland's trial p. 25.) on the 13. of Iune, it was againe at Wildhouse (White breades trial. p. 16.) What do these contradictions proue, but that the whole story is built on your fancy, & therefore shifts the scene, as oft as that changes? & how come your Patrones to let them passe abroad vncorrected, but that in this, God blinded them, that they myght remain to posterity an euerlasting vnanswerable proofe of the vnjustice of their Iudgments?

Narrat. p. 45. § 67. Iohn Groue brought an order from Harcout, I. K. Ri­chard Blundel, Mr. Iennison, M. W. B. L. & four other Iesuits, that lay at Sommerset house, to pray the Prouincial to acquaint Leshee how things stood in Ireland: that the Deponent read the Memorial, & saw their names. At two in the afternoon he met those Fathers at Mrs. Sanders: who appointed him a meeting at four in the afternoon, at Mr. Keynes's: where he saw Letters from Blundel, I. F. & one from F. Ireland at [Page 58]S. Omers. Had an account of fourscore Letters written to the [...] in England, & one to Mr. Peters. That I. K. & Mr. Coniers were designed for 440. by which is meant Windsore.

Obseru. Here are many Periuryes. The first, that four Iesuits lodged at so­merset House. I am credibly informed, that not one English Iesuit lodged there at that time, or thereabouts.

The 2. that there was any such message. It is a meer fable. see Attest. R. S.

The 3. that F. Ireland writ from S. Omers. In his triall he was sayd to be in London about that time. Yet he was nether at S. Omers, nor London; but in Staffordshire. see Attest. T. so all that Letter is feyghned, vnlesse you will haue him in many places at once, which you deny Christ's body can be.

The 4. that you saw Letters from Blundel. Blundel was one of those, who met you: the same of J. F. But it seemes they writ their Letters, & brought them themselues.

The 5. that they would haue any informations sent by P. de la Chaize to the King of France.

The 6. that 440. stands for Winsore. There neuer was amongst Iesuits any such Cypher. see Attest. C.

Narrat. p. 48. §. 68. The same day, the Deponent went to Dr. Tonge's: but not finding him, he went into Gray's-Inne Walkes, & met there with Mr. Coniers, who shew'd him a Dagger, with which he intended to kill the King by stabbing through his cloake. And that thence he went to Dr. Tonge's, & met him.

Obseru. Is it not strang, that a man, who two days before, (on the 20. of August, as may be seene §. 62.) was resolued to Keepe his way so secret, as to say he would burne his shirt, if it knew any thing of it, would so frankly discouer it, & brandish his Dagger, & that in a place, as open, as a favre? He had been mad, if he had done soe, & those are fooles, who can beleiue he did. Mr. Coniers giues a far different account of that conference: that you com­plained of your Pouerty, which forced you to walke there sometimetimes in stead of a dinner: that you wondred no better Prouision was made in the Roman Church for men of your parts, that you had been employed to preach before the Iudges that you had lost 4. or 500. l. a yeare for your Religion: that the Bishop of London offred you great preferments, vpon condition you would return to the Ch. of England: &c. And desired him to prefer you to teach some Gentleman's children: that meate, drink & 10. l. a yeare would satisfy you. see Attest. V.

Narrat. p. 48. §. 69. The same day, the Deponent met with Blundel, with a bag of Teuxbury Mustard-bals, a notable biting sawce: who sayd he would furnish West­minster, when he had enough. the Deponent says, they were Fire-bals.

Obseru. Blundel protests he neuer dealt about Fire balls: nor euer heard of Tewxbury mustard balls, but from the Narrat. [...] est S. He had no cloake; but a Jumpe, & he filled that pretty well himself, & no room left vnder it for such a bag, containing mustard balls designed for a great citty. And if you say, he carryed it on his back, you may adde to the other trades of the Iesuits, that of Porters.

Jt seemes this 22. of August was pretty well employed, althô you had nether eate, nor drunk, nor stopt all the day long, you go to Mr. Harcourt's in Duke streete, & Wildhouse, & in both places find the same Persons, prouiding the same 80. guinys for the Ruffians, & Cilman giuing the same Guiny to the Messen­ger: thence you go to Fenwick's lodging, there you heare the commission sent to Fenwick to desire the Prouincial to informe Leshee with the Irish affayres. That you read the Memorial, & saw the names. Thence you go to Mrs. San­ders, meet the ten fathers, hear the contents of the memorial, & the Instru­ctions from their mouths. After you go to Mr. Keynes's, Meet with D. Fo­gorthy, see Letters from Bedding-fild, Blundel, & Fenwick: another to Bedding-field: Take an àccount of fourscore other Letters, their contents, to whom directed, how sent away, &c. Item of another Letter to Mr. Peters, with its contents, & saw it vncyphred. Then you post to meete with D. Tonge, but missing him at his lodging, away you hasten to Grays-Inne Walkes, & meete with Mr. Coniers, from whom you receiue an account of his stay in town: of his design to Assas­sinate the King, the Dagger prouided for it, where this was bought, its Price, & the manner of vsing it. Then you return to Dr. Tonge, & meet him. After that you meete with Blundel, & a bag of Mustard balls, or Fireballs, or what you please. A biting sawce it was: & indeed after such labour, it was time to think of meat as well as sawce. Sure this day had been as long, as that on which Iosue fought the Palestins, & your selfe as bury, as Menechmus seeking his Brother But you are a Poet, & haue a Tragedy in hand: & can dispose & order the stage, as you please, & appoint your Actors, to meete you when, & where you please, & lay what you please. Certainly neuer more vnlikely Fable, then this, was feyghned by any Poet.

Narrat p 48 §. 70. On the 24. of August, Blundel told the Deponent, that the Catholicks would shorten the Kings days: & that Protestant Religion stood on its last legs.

Obseru. You haue nether Honesty to tell Truth, nor wit to feyghn a pro­bable lye, nor discretion to hold your Tongue. Had you produced this saying at the b [...]ginning, it had been tolerable; but to bring it in, after you had pro­duced Benedictins, Dominicans, Carmelits, Iesuits, & who not, agreeing in it, & Blundel with the rest, communicating the substance, & contriuances of the Plot [Page 60]to you, then, I say, to put these words into his mouth, as containing some news, is like the rest, sens [...]sse.

Narrat. p. 48 §. 71. Blundel shewd the Deponent a paper describing the manner of firing Westminster. In this his taske was assigned (althô it had neuer been proposed to, or accepted by him) & 1000. l. promist him, besides the 80. l. for his seruice in Spaine, (which it seemes the Iesuits haue not payd, nor I beleiue euer will) which paper signed by Th. White.

Obseru. Blundel protests he neuer heard of any such Paper. Fenwick's chamber was searched, all his Papers seized on, & carefully examined, & nothing like this found. So I leaue you to make it out, by any thing besides your word: which there is little reason to esteem.

Narrat. p 50. §. 72. Blundel shewd the Deponent, a Bull, by which the two Arch-Bishopricks, 21. Bithopriches, two Abbys, & six Deanryes are disposed of. Nay there is not one Prebendary, or other place vndisposed.

Obseru. You shew as much skill in the Cancellaria of Rome, as in the Secre­taria of the Iesuits. That such Benefices should be disposed of without the King's consent! All contained in one Bull! This Bull so carelessely sent, so negligently kept, so causelessely produced! not one Benefice left for such as may deserue well in that great change! Not one of the Protestant Party to con­tinu in his liuing! No man liuing know of this Bull, but from your Narratiue. That all Persons concerned in the Promotion should be ignorant of it! Those who can swallow these mountaines of incredibilitys, neede to straine nothing.

Narrat. p. 52. §. 73. That the Deponent saw a Packet from the Fathers met at Edinburgh, acquainting them, that 8000. Papists were ready to rise, & assist the disaf­fected scots, when required by the Scotch Iesuits there. That a seruant of Louel the Iesuit destroyed Westby.

Obseru. Not one tru word. For 1. there neuer was a meeting of English Iesuits at Edinburgh. Nor 2. any English Iesuits in Scotland. Nor 3. Louel, nor 4. any man of his euer there. Nor 5. any correspondence of English Iesuits in Scotland. Nor 6. any knowledge of affayres of that Kingdom, but from the publick Gazettes.

Narrat. p. 53. §. 74. The White writ from S. Omers on the 4. of September nou. stil. to Rich. Blundel, that twelue Iesuits were sent into Scotland with 1000. l. from the French King to keep vp the commotions there, that he myght land an Army. And that they were to carry themselues as Non-Conformist Ministers amongst the Presbiterians.

Obseru. We haue here many Periuryes. First there is no Rich. Blundel amonst the English Iesuits. 2. there neuer was any such Letter receiued. see Attest. S. [Page 61]3. the sum of 1000. l. for such a design is ridiculous 4. that Iesuits should passe for Non Conformist Ministers. No Iesuits takes the quality of any Minister at all.

Yet it were for the publick good, that this vntruth were beleiued by the Presbiterians, to diminish the credit of those Ministers, who are Flabella seditionum, Trumpetters of sedition, & Rebellion. Were they silenced by that losse of credit, the Publick would enjoy more quiet, then can be hoped for, whilest those factions Men haue influence on so Proud, so stubborn, & so Potent a part of the Nation. Jf such vse were made of this Periury, it would, scorpion like, cure the poyson it spreades.

Narrat. p. 35. §. 75. That Th. White writ to Blundel, that some discouery of the plot had been made; yet he should not desist the businesse in hand. That he should thank Fogorthy for his care of the businesse of 48. the K. as also those in Ireland, for whose good successe he would pray.

Obseru. It is false, there euer was any such Letter. see Attest. S. Had there been so horrid a Plot, as you describe, & he heard it was discouered, he should haue ordred all the Conspirators to desist, secure their Persons, make away their Papers, & do some of those things, which Fear on such occasions suggests to Guilty Persons. But to command them to go on, is Non-sense: & none can beleiue it, but such as haue as shallow heads, & as little common sense, as the Inuentor of these Fables. Here again 48. is taken for the King, a thing vnheard of amongst Iesuites. It is no lesse vnreasonable, that thanks should be ordred to Fogorthy, & the Irish. Had you sayd, he (Mr. White) had desired their Prayers, for the Preseruation of himself & his whole Prouince, & all Catho­licks, you myght haue been beleiued, this carrying some Proportion with the state into which they were vnauoydably entring. But that black Malice which appeares in you, & common sense, or the vse of ryght Reason, are inconsistent in the same mind. God darkning the vnderstanding, when man leaues his Wil to the workings of Malice: that the vntruths, they spread, may be more easily discouered, & more cleerely confuted.

Narrat. p. 54. §. 76. The Prouincial came to London on the third day of Septem­ber, at nyght: and the Deponent was ordred to wayt on him the next day.

Obseru. In Ireland's tryal p. 25. you swore he was at supper, when you came, & after supper admitted you, & treated you, as the next §. relates. Here you say, you were remitted till the next day.

Narrat. p. 54. § 77. That the Deponent went to the Prouincial on the 4. of Sep­tember who asked: with what face he could looke on him, since he had betrayed them? & struck him with his cane, gaue him a box on the Ear. Yet he would be reconciled to him again, if he would discouer the Parson, who went with him to the King, whom [Page 62]he would have secured, & killed. That the Deponent should prepare to be gon beyond seas, within fourteen days: that he would pay for his coach, & lodgings on the read, that he myght not cheat them. Told him his Innes at Sittingburg, Douer, & Callice. And that Rich. Blundel was to take care for the burning of Wapping, in the Deponents room.

Obseru. Neuer any such incoherent non sense came from any man in his Wits None, who knew Mr. White, euen when in his vigour, will beleiue it probable, that he should beat so stout a man, as you shew your selfe: much lesse, when he was in so weak a condition, as he came in to London, as being almost cast down by the sicknesse contracted at Antwerpe, which carryed away his Sodus, Mieo, & brought him to death's dore. Is it probable, that either he, who could scarce stand, should haue so much Courage, as to beat you? or you so much Patience, as to bear it, from a man, whom you could run down with a finger? let that passe.

Mr. White hauing vented his vndigested choler, comes to himself again, & offers to for giue what is past, vpon condition you would discouer the Parson, who went with you to the King: telling you, he would haue him secured, & killed. And that when you had betrayed your freind to death, you should be sent beyond seas, there to receiue a like reward doubtlesse. And he candidly tells you, you should nor deceiue him, no: & for that reason, he would giue you no mony for your Iourny; but would hire you a coach, & defray your charge on the way. Iust as if a Constable should bid a Theife first to discouer his fellow, whom he would hang: & then go to such a place, where he would find some men ready to seize on him, & secure him from escaping out of their hands, would carry him to a safe lodging, which would be payd for him by the Publick. Wonderous Wife! Yet this is not all. As if Mr. White had forgotten, that you endeauoured to preuent the mischeife intended to Wesiminster, by the discouery you had made of it; but still were a Zealous conspirator: he bids you not to be solicitous for your share of that worke of Darknesse, because another would supply your place.

I shall desire of those, who can beleiue this nonsense, one fauour; which I think cannot in Iustice be denyed, that when euer they hear Iesuits called Politians, they say it is a Calumny: for they are the stupidest, sillyest creatures, that walk on the face of the Earth. For such must be the cheifest of t [...]m, if what is here sayd be tru.

What I know of that meeting, is this. You made your addresses again to Mr White after his return to London, to be admitted into the society But your Petition was as coldly receiued, as before. Then you desired à Gentleman to intercede for you, ether to procure your admission, or a Pension to subsist with [Page 63]beyond seas: & told him, that if either of these things were granted, you would giue vp to him an Accusation consisting of aboue fifty articles, which at the next Parliament would be exhibited against the Iesuits, which you sayd, you knew would be beleiued, althô they con [...]ained not one word of T [...]uth. We haue since learnt by Printed Pamphlets, composed by such as had reason to know all the particulars, that some part of this Narratiue had been presented to his Majesty before, & you in your preface to the Reader say so too (& haply Mr. White had receiued some inkling of it) & by that you had engaged your selfe to make it as good, as little wit, great M [...]lice, & perjury could. What could then haue moued you, to renew that request, which you were sure would be rejected, I know not; vnlesse it be, that had either of the two things been granted, you would haue thence either confirmed your intimacy with Iesuits, or alleadged it as a bribe profred to corrupt you. At least for these reasons Mr White resolued to leaue you to your own courses, to vent your malice, as you had begun, & would continu: relying the mean while vpon his own Innocency, the Iustice of the nation, & the Mercy of the King: arming hims [...]lf as he had reason, with Patience to suffer what extremity myght befall him, & his. Accordingly he kept his ordinary lodging, remoued no Papers, left all those vnder his conduct in their ordinary stations, &c. Which had he, or they, been conscious of the least Guilt, could neuer be. This alone to Posterity will be a conuincing proofe of his Innocency, were there nothing else.

Narrat. p. 55. § 18 On the 6. of September, Pi [...]kering told the Deponent, that Coniers was gon to Windsore, & would thence go to my Lord Brudnel's house.

Obseru. This Periury is incredible: for by that time, all about the Court, & many Papists in the suburbs, knew you to haue malicious designes. But this vntruth may comfort the Iesuits, because others are represented as great fooles, or Mad men, as themselues.

Narat. p 55. 79. §. The Deponent at nygh [...] heard White, & others talke of dispo­sing of a Person, w [...]o had betrayed them, by feeing a Coach man, to take him vp, & carry him beyond seas, & there make him confesse, who had been with the King. Hearing this, he slank away, & changed his lodging that nyght.

Obseru. What should so fryght you now, who were so vnconcerned be­fore, when the Prouincial declared to you, that very method of conueyghing you away, I cannot guesse: vnlesse it were, that before you were certainly meant, & here you knew it only by conjectures, no body being named.

Narrat p 56 § 81. That the Deponent, returned to his lodging the day following: where Grigson told him the danger he w [...]s in, for offending [...]he Iesuits. That that nyght one Stratford, employed by Iesuits, assaulted the house, with intention to kill him, broke [Page 64]down a dore: but being obserued by seruants, he broke some quarryes of Glasse, & retired.

Obseru. Your suddain return to your own lodging, & your inclination to the sex, giues occasion to surmise your loging abroad that nyght, to haue proceeded from something else, then fear of Iesuits: Otherwise you would not so soon haue exposed your precious self to such mercilesse Ruffians, as it seemes, the Iesuits are, especially your fear being renewed by Grigion Suppose your lodging was really assaulted, of which J doubt, as hauing no ground to beleiue it, besides your Lying word) how do you know the Assailant was Stratford? or that he is a Papist? or intended to kill you; & not to steal? or that he was set on by Iesuits? Why was not he pursued, or taken in Flagranti, being obserued by many seruants? Here you slept, as all great wits do sometimes, or else you would, after your ordinary manner, haue introduced some Iesuit acquainting you with all. But, which is more, in Irland's tryal, you swore White breade was the man who assaulted your lodging. And when any man else is to be tried, it shall be he, if you haue no other matter against him.

Narrat. p. 57. §. 81. The eyght day Neuil a Papist told the Deponent, he must either destroy the Iesuits, or they would destroy him. Item, that the Bishop of Rochester sayd: he (the Bishop) would lead them such a dance, as they neuer followed since the sool their Founder, appeared in the world.

Obseru. You haue made as good vse as you could of that freindly aduice, & haue don more towards the ruin of Iesuits, then could haue been imagined, considering the cleernesse both of their Innocency, & of your vntruths & Per­jurys. Yet your worke is not don: some Iesuits are yet aliue, & the world be­gins to be weary of shedding their Innocent blood, to satisfy your desire of Reuenge. Which is an Antidote against your Poyson.

As to the Bishop of Rochester, I neuer heard he had a Papist of his bosome counsel: nor that he thought the Iesuits Founder a Foole: the wise, & learned world, of which he is a Part, hath a far different opinion of the Iesuits Foun­der. It is also news; that he, or any other Protestant Bishop (amongst whom I scarce reckon him of Lincolne) lead this dance: if any did, they soon desisted, foreseing it would dance them out of their Reuenues, & Churches, & the whole state into Confusion. At which the Presbiterian Party, whose Instrument you are, aimes, & which they endeauour by a Persecution of Papists in 1679. as they compast it by another, lesse violent, 1642.

J. P. p. 33. aduises me to come to Newgate, where I may learn a better way of Pleading. It seemes his going thither was not only to suborn Witnesses, & perswade honest men, such as Medburn to turn Knyghts of the Post He went to learn Eloquence, & substantiall ways of Pleading: & I perceiue he is so per­swaded [Page 65]perswaded of the advantages of that Schoole, that he endeauours to draw others to it too. But I think no honest man wil follow his counsail: but leaue that place to such as it is intended for, such as his freind Oates & himself.

P. 35. You are to consider, whom this braine of a Taylor calls the Rabble: None but the Lords & Commons of England, & the whole body of the Nation. Answer: This is a most malicious slaunder: I mean only those factious fellows, who at the Old Bayly, houted, & shouted, & clamoured, as if they had been at a Beare baiting: Those who offred violence, struck, wounded, & were like to Kil the Wit-nesses, who were produced in fauour of the pretended criminalls. Those who disordred the court so, as it could scarce heare for along time any thing relating to the case in hand. Was there any Lord, or any member of the Honourable house of Commons amongst those dis-orderly, cruel, savage Persons? I doubt not but they did dislike, condemn, detest those barbarous proceedings: of which disorders I discharge all honest civilized Englishmen, by charging them only on the Rabble the skum of the Nation, & none else is ca­pable of such inhumane actions: where of we find no precedent in the civilized world, & it is not to be paralelled, but by the brutish Cannibals in America, who with such like howlings, & yawlings satiate their thirst of Revenge vpon their Captiue Enemyes.

He endeauours an answer to the rest of the Chapter, but he shews so much of Newgate breeding, & so little of ciuil discourse, or common sense, that I shall only desire my Reader to compare both together, & vse his owne Rea­son to iudge betwixr vs. Indeed what need of answering these two reasons, with which p. 39. He shews, that Mr. Whitebreade, then scarce able to stand on his legs, could cane Oates: for 1. S. Denis carryed his head aboue a lea­gue in his hand, when it was cut off: ergo Mr. Whitebreade thô neuer so weak could beat Oates. 2. hewas able to stand at his trial in Iune, with out the help of Aqua mirabilis (when he was well recouered): ergo he was not so weak in September when he was sicke, & in very great danger of Death. Should I discourse so idly, how would hee fill vp whole pages with those Billings gate elegancyes Sot, Dunce, Blockhead, &c.

Anonimus from p. 30 to 34. in many words, say, iust nothing to the purpose. He would faine assert Oates's hauing been at Madrid: which the Managers of the cause against My Lord of Stafford, are willing to let fall: yet least they should seem to do nothing, they proue that Oates was in S [...]ain & at Valladolid. Which no body euer denyed. Sic magno conatu magnas nugas agunt. My Lord of Stafford pressed afterwards, as an Euident Perjury that story of Oates's, being at Madrid, & seing Don Iohn of Austria: & his Patrones employed [Page 66]all their cunning to keep the leaky vessell from that rock, where it would certainly suffer shipwrack Yet althô they could elude all that that Lord sayd, they can neuer make the world forget, that Oates had sworn he had been there, & had treated there with D. Iohn: nor perswade any reasonable man, that that is not false. They declined the examining it, as a precipice to his honour, by which they tacifly owned a Periury, thô they would not seem to acknowledg it.

CHAPTER IX. Of the Commissions giuen to Noblemen.

NArrat. p. 58. A list of such Noble-men, & Gentry, as are in this Conspiracy whose names occur at present. Lord Arundel of Wardour, Lord Chancellour, &c,

Obseru. Here is another Accusation, with a blank left for any, whom you shall here after design to ruin: whom in due time you will call to mind.

Narrat. All these had their Commissions or Patents, stamped by the General of the Iesuits Ioannes Paulus d'Oliua.

Obseru. How comes it, that you hauing had the distribution of these Com­missions, (as you sayd before the Parliament, & in seuerall tryals, & in this Narratiue p. 59.) should not haue kept one at least of them, to Conuince the world, there is something tru? How comes it about, that not one of all these Noble men, & Gentlemen, should know of their own Commission, or of the De­signe? that not one Commission should be found by all these searches? how hap­pens it, that you should not know the General of the Jesuits name, nor seal, as I haue sayd in the Preface? If your Memory failed you in a matter so often oc­curring, what credit doth it deserue in things, which occurred but once? And if you are foresworne in this, who will beleiue you in the rest?

Let vs consider the probability of this story, from the qualitys of the Persons who are sayd to haue giuen, and receiued these Commissions. You say, a superi­our of Religious men by his Patents makes a Chancelour, the Secretarys of state, the General & subordinate Officers of the Army, in fine disposes as Soueraign, of all Offices, Ciuil, & Military of the whole Kingdome. An attempt not to be paralleled, but by that of Lucifer, to be like God. All the world knows, that the Authority of Religious Superiours, as such, euen in Catholick Countrys, is confiued within the Walls of their Order, & reaches no persons, but such as by their own Vo­luntary Act submit themselues to it: That the General of the Iesuits hath no power ouer his own Religious longer then they continu such: for if any of them [Page 67]be raysed by a superior Power to an Ecclesiasticall Dignity, or dismist for their misde meanours, his Autority reaches them not. This being known to all, who know any thing of the Catholick world, who can imagin such a Superiour should on a suddain take vpon him Regal Authority, & dispose of all Temporall Dignitys, & Offices, which is an Act of supreame Iurisdiction?

As for the Persons receiuing Commissions, they are the English Catholick Nobility, & Gentry. And althô many of them neuer dealt with Jesuits, euen in spirituall things, had little kindnesse for them, further then they are obliged by being parts of the same mysticall Body, the Church: yet, as you say, all vnanimously submit to the vsurpation of that Religious man. They all knew, that their Ancestors, of the same Principles of Religion to God, & Allegiance to their Prince, had constantly refused to own any Temporall Authority in the Pope, although grounded, as was alleadged, on the King's free gift. Yet now this same body of men is sayd to own a much greater Authority in one of the Pope's Vnder-Officers. This strang Transaction is made, & nothing of, or about it appeares, but in your Narratiue! Not one of them refuse to submit or at least demur! not one disdain to become subiect to a Poor Religious Man! Not one acknowledge the fault, althô they were assured of their Pardon, & a good reward to boot! That euen those, who to free themselues from vexatious Pri­sons, changed their Religion, should be constant in denying the Plot & the Com­missions And which is more this thing so ridiculous, so incredible, so morally, or euen Physically impossible, is to be beleiued vpon the single word, & Oath of a man Faithlesse to God, & Honourlesse to men: one who scarce euer spoke a tru Word, & who deserues no credit euen when he speakes probable things. The Deuil was a Lyer from the beginning: & you, from your cradle. A Wise man hauing weyghed these motiues seriously, althô he knew nothing of the particular Facts, concluded, that ether what Homer, & Ouid writ of their Gods, Aesop of Beasts, were no Fables, or the English Conspiracy is a Fable.

Yet O Iust Iudment of Almighty God! The finger of God is heere. It hath found credit. Indeed our Nation or a great part of it, hauing rejected many Diuine & sauing Truths reuealed by the H. Ghost the spirit of Truth, preacht by the Apostles the Doctors of Truth, & handed down to vs by the Church the Pillar of Truth, deserues such blindness, as to beleiue improbale Lyes, suggested by the Deuil, the Father of Lyes, & desiuered by you, who are a faithfull Disciple of that Faithlesse master: to whose instructions of Lying, you haue always adhe­red, in whose school you are such a Proficient, that no hystory to my remem­brance furnishs your equall. Hear the Apostle: Quia charitatem veritatis non receperunt, vt salui fierent: ideo mittet illis Deus operationem erroris, vt credant MEN­DACIO; [Page 68]Vt iudicentur omnes, qui non crediderunt veritati; sed consenserunt iniquitati. Because they receiued not the loue of Truth, that they myght be saued, therefore God shall abandon them to the Working of Errour, (illusion) so that they shall beleiue a LYE, that all may bee Iudged (damned) who would not beleiue the Truth; brt consented to (this) vnjustice. 2. Thessal. 2.10.11.

Narrat. p. 62. Titus Oates Clerk maketh Oath, that the Information set down in these Papers containing 81. articles, all written & subscribed by his own hand, are tru in the whole, & in euery particular thereof. 7. September. Titus Oates.

Obseru. Here is a Periury not vnlike to Hobs's Leuiathan: for he represents this as one Body composed of many thousands of Persons; so is this one PERIU­RY Composed of many thousands of Periuryes. You swear all you haue sayd is tru, we know, & will prooue all is false. You stand alone in asserting the Truth of this Oath; we shew its falshood by many Witnesses: To you lying, & Perjury is as familiar as eating, or Breathing; our Witnesses are of vnblemisht Reputation. You story is incredible & morally impossible; ours euidently pro­bable, & morally certain: your Tale is euery day changed, as being the Ofs­pring of your fancy, & hauing no substance, but from it; ours always the same, as being grounded on reall Facts, In fine all your Art, though directed by some more Wise then your self, & seconded by Bedlow, & such fellows, could neuer make out the Truth of any one materiall point, questioned by vs, nor the Falshood of any materiall point, alleadged in our Defence. So the lying spirit doth euidently discouer it selfe in your Narratiue: & the spirit of Truth is as cleerely seen in our Apology. We suffer with Truth, we suffer for Truth, & Truth will free vs Veritas Liberabit vos. Ioan. 8.32.

J P. 40. Not finding what to say to this Chapter, is content to let it passe. Yet he very wittily, as he thinks, retorts the Wise man's saying vpon me: for says he, there is some Truth in Homer's & Aesops fables: ergo there is some Truth in this Plot. What say you, Courteous Reader, to this? Is this not a man who can draw oile out of a Pumice stone, & proue the snow is Black? well: J will grant them alike tru. The truth in Homer's fables, is, that they are vntru storys of the Gods: that of Oates's Narratiue is, that they are vntru storys of God's seruants. Those had all their Being from the Poet; these had theirs from the Deponent! those are sacrilegious vntruths of God: these are a sacrilegious taking God to Witnesse Vntruths. Jn Aesop's Fables vnder false storys of Beasts, & Birds are couched some Passions of men, & moral directions, & precepts: these are wanting in the Narratiues, vnder which is couched only Oates's ground lesse spyght, to those, who neuer did him any hurt, & an endlesse malice of the implacable enemys of the Catholick Church. That [Page 69]Noble-man spoke a great truth, who sayd: We, who haue no Religion, are going to Persecute those, who are thought to haue some. Yet in Aesop there is one fable, much like their proceeding with vs: viz that a wolfe accused a Lamb of troubling the water with which he was to quench his Thirst. And althô the Lamb replyed, that could not be, because the place where he drunk was much lower, then that where the Wolfe was: yet this play was ouer born, the Lamb sentenced to Death, & worryed.

Anonimus tells we p. 35. I bewray my nest. But he is very much mista­ken: I do only shew what he, & some factious spirits doe, to the defiling of it. Jf this be a fault, Daniel was to blame, who trauerst the sentence of the wicked Iudges past vpon chast Susanna: Hester is vnexcusable, in pleading the Innocency of her Nation, after a solemne sentence had been pronounced against it by Assuerus. All the Christians are to be condemned, who assert the Inno­cency of Christ, & his Apostles, notwithstanding their conuictions, & con­demnations by the Supreme Magistrates of those times. Are we returning to the Pagan superstition, when Rapes, & thefts; murthers & Adulterys were con­secrated, when committed by those men, whom the credulous vulgar adored as Gods? Doth God Alm-contrary to scripture admit of any distinction of Persons? Is not his Law Common to all? And if it be broken by any, how great soeuer may not he be minded of his Duty? Nay is there not an obliga­tion imposed on all, Church men & others, to mind them of it, with that Respect, which is du to their calling? was Nathan, was Elias, were the other Prophets blame worthy, who admonisht Dauid, Achab, & others, Princes, Preists, & People of their faults? How shall we excuse S. Paul's second Chapter to the Romans, our B. Sauiours rebukes of the Scribes, & Pharisys, the writings of the Prophets & Moyses, in which are recorded the sins of the People of God? Are all these foul birds, that bewray their own nest? Jf so, which are the clean? Where will these men's extrauagancyes end? To what absurdityes will they lead their silly Disciples? When they shall shew vs greater Authority, then that of the Holy Scriptures, greater precedents, then those of Christ, his Apostles, & the Prophets, & better rules of morality, then those of God, & his Diuine spirit, we will own our selues Guilty, althô we are not so: But not till then.

CHAPTER X. A word of Aduice to the Deponent.

I Haue followed you through all your wandrings, with greater tediousnesse, then may be imagined, finding no entertainment all the way, but euident vn­truths, infamous perjurys, & sometimes some insipid lests. It hath been some labour to examin all the particular Facts you mention, when Persons con­cerned are at so great a distance. Yet I haue gone thorough all willingly for the publick satisfaction, & for a cleer conuiction of such, as though there was some fire where there was so much smoke, if still there are any such in the world. I hope it may be for your own good too, who by this discouery of so many shamefull Periuries, being disabled to follow the trade of a Witnesse, may be obliged to take to some more honest though lesse gainfull way of liuing. This may be a meanes to saue your soul, for there is a Confusion, which brings Grace & Glory. Ecclesiastici 4.25. & the Psalmist Ps. 82.16. Fill their Face with shame, & they will seek thee, O Lord.

J haue aduanced nothing materiall, but what is certainly tru. The cheifest points are attested by Witnesses of vnblemisht Reputation. I now appeal to one who is vncorruptible, your own Conscience, which within you confirmes all, I say, & sets before the eyes of your soul, your guilt, more liuely then any one can doe. Jt is that, which before you took on you publickely, without any cause giuen by any Catholick, the Person of an Informer, when the first Idea of the many Lyes, & horrible Perjurys occurred to you, forced you with signes of great anguish of mind to say: No body knows what DISMAL THOUGHTS, I haue had in that Chamber, shewing that where you then lodged. It was that, which at the tryall of the fiue Iesuits made you ready to Faint: & howeuer with vnparalelled confidence you accuse vs before men: Yet before God, & in your own hart, that absolues vs, & finds you Guilty. Or if it doth not, if it ceases from that function, or if you are so hardned, as to be insensible of its remorse, your condition is the more deplorable, there being little or no hopes left of your saluation.

Should I say, that some of your Accusations are of words spoken by your selfe, & charged on others, who often reprehended you, & at last quite aban­doned you for them, I should say no more, then your familiar discourse euen since this fit of Zeal for the safety of his Majesty's Sacred Person came vpon you, will iustify, as I am informed. My Lord cheife Iustice told you (in sir [Page 71]G. W. s. ttiall. p. 56.) You haue taken a great confidence, I know not by what Autho­rity, to say any thing of any body. This is a tru saying: & how long that Confidence so Publickly known will passe vnpunisht, I cannot tell. J am sure the Wise man sayd: Qui inconsideratus est ad loquendum, sentiet mala. Prou. 13. 3 He that is inconsiderate in his language, shall feel mischeife. Here is one great Mischeife, iustly to be feared, hanging ouer your head.

Another, & that much more terrible, is that of eternall Damnation iustly due to False Witnesses, & Murtherers. Now that you are a False witnesse, appeares by the foregoing discourse; & that you are a Murtherer, is euident, hauing murthred as many Persons, as haue innocently suffred, vpon your Depositions. Thus S. Austin in Psal. 63. Ille occidit, & vos, ô Iudaei occidistis. Vnde occidistis; Gladio linguae. Our Sauiour's blood was iustly charged on the Jews, who killed him, with their false Accusations: & as iustly are you charged with the murther of all those, who haue as vniustly been accused by you, & condemned, & executed vpon your Accusation.

I haue related two sayings of yours, at S. Omers. One: I shall either be a Iesuit or a Judas. The other: If I am not a Iesuit I shall be damned. You haue verifyed the first most compleately, in the syght of all the World: & are in a fayre pro­bability to verify the second, if by a sincere, & timely Repentance of these horrid Crying sins, you do not preuent it. Be not mistaken: God is not to be mo [...]ked. Gal. 6.7. and all the giddy rabble of London will not protect you from the stroke of his hand, which neuer falls heauier, then when it is most slow in striking: th [...]n when the time allotted to appease his Wrath, & disarme his Iustice is spent in prouoking him, & treasuring vp vnto our selues Wrath, against the day of W [...]ath. Rom. 2.5. That you myght auoyd this greatest of Euils, was the harty Prayer of Mr. White-bread, & his fellow sufferers at their Execution, & is dayly hartily prayed for by many suruiuing Iesuits. And if this freindly admonition (haply the last you will receiue in this Kind) doth contribute any thing towards your reall Conuersion, I shall think my Labour well spent, & haue my harts desire.

J. P. pag. 41. thinks he nicks home, by saying: Good Counsel ought to be without respect of Interest, for the sole benefit of the Person, to whom it is giuen: But my Aduice is quite contrary. Answer. Suppose you should fall into the hands of a Hygh-way man, who intends to Rob, & Kill you. Would you not dissuade him from it, if you could, by shewing the Law of God forbidding Theft & Murther? And is not that Aduice good thô you be concerned in it? But says he p. 42. the Parliament requires him, to go on. And so did the Sanedrin require of Iudas; which hindred not Christ's reprehension: [Page 72] ‘Betrayest thou the son of Man with a Kisse? Luc. 22.48.’ Should all the states in the World, Rome with the English Parliament concurr in abetting Periury, yet it will be good Aduice, to disswade men from it, minding the of them Command­ment: Thou shall not bear false Witnesse: For althô in all indifferent matters, where it is dubious whether the thing Commanded be a sin, they ought to be obeyed; yet where there euidently appeares an opposition to the Law of God, we must, with the Apostles conclude, ‘to obey God, rather then men. Act 5.29.’ And this no Parliament man can be displeased with, vnlesse he condemnes the Primitiue Christians, & the Apostles, & renounce Christianity, by erecting that Tribunal of a Parliament aboue that of God himself, & making the Com­mandements of God vayl to an Act of Parliament.

Anonimus p. 35. assures the world, I beseech Oates to recant, promising him in that case the easiest place in all Purgatory. I desire my Reader to iudg of the sincerity of these men: for in all my aduice, there is no mention of Purgatory: yet he puts it in different characters to make this Vntruth the more conspi­cuous.

Pag. 36. He says, we are Felones de se ipso facto, for not keeping pri­uate, what we haue to say for our selues: seing by publishing these things, we capacitate our Aduersarys to hang vs. Which is a fayre acknowledgment, that the faction aimes neither at Truth, nor Iustice, nor punishment of reall Tray­tors; but at finding pretences to ruin the Catholicks, whether Guilty or not. Our publishing these things shews our confidence of their Truth For we de­sire no better then that they should be examined, & to that intent we spread them as much, as we can. And seing our Aduersarys haue neuer heen able to disproue any one point alleadged by vs in our Vindication nor to proue the Truth of any, which we deny, all impartiall men will conclude that Truth is on our side. When we consider how vnwilling the Managers of the Accusa­tion against My Lord of Stafford were, that any mention should be made of of what past informer trials: that they pretended to doubt whether Oates had euer Deposed his Being at Madrid, or hauing seen Don Iohn, to saue him from Periury, & they pretended there myght be (o pittifull shift!) in that Court, some other who personated D. Iohn to whom Oates, the great Negocia­tor, was directed by the Court, as to the tru D. Iohn: when the whole Trans­action, & seuerall other material points of his Depositions being mentioned, they demurred vpon it, pretended ignorance of his euer hauing deposed any such things, required witnesses, &c. where I say, we consider this, we may conclude, they were very little satisfyed, of the Truth of his Depositions. Which is one good effect of these Writings I assure you, we will make no [Page 73]difficulty to own what we haue all along alleadged, that Oates neuer was at Madrid, nor Paris: that he was not in London in April, or May 1678. nor Mr. Ire­land after the middle of August, till the 14. of September following. We will not expect you should produce Witnesses to proue, that these things had been sayd by the Catholicks at their seueral Trials: Nor question the sincerity of our Prints; when those Managers refused to stand to these Printed by publicke Authority. Truth stands not in need of disingenuous, & vnworthy shifts, & which wheresoeuer they are found, we may be certain they are vsed only to hood wink Iustice, & oppresse Innocency: & conclude, that cause is crippled, & will not walk far, which moues only on such Crutches.

FINIS.

ATTESTATION A. Of the Lord Arch-Bishop of Tuam. That M. Oates neuer was at Madrid. And concerning Sir William Godolphin.

BE it known vnto all Persons of what degree soeuer, that I Iames Lynch D. D, & Arch-Bishop of Tuam hauing been desired by seuerall, aswell Roman Catholicks, as Protestants, to declare what I know concerning Mr. Titus Oates, or Titus Ambrose his Person, or his hauing been in Madrid; & also concerning my acquaintance with the Ryght Honourable Sir William Godolphin, Embasse. from the most serene K. of Great Brittain &c. in this court: haue thought fit, for their tru information, & of all others, whom it may concern to protest, & declare by this writing signed by my hand, as followeth.

That I do not know, nor euer saw Mr. Titus Oates, or Titus Ambrose, (both which appellations the same person hath named himself by) & do not beleiue, that euer he was in Madrid, for that hauing made diligent enquity to know whither he was, or not, by the meanes of both English, Irish, & Scotch residing here, I could neuer vnderstand that the sayd Titus came neerer to Madrid, then Valladolid, which are about 100. miles asunder) where he liued in S. Alban's Colledge fiue months, viz from the first of Iune to the 30. of Octobre 1677. with­out sleeping one nyght out of the same, as I am informed, by the testimony of graue, & Religious Persons, both Churchmen, & Seculars, & particularly of the Rector of that Colledge, & others, who were dayly conuersant with him, during his aboad there. Moreouer that I verily beleiue, if the sayd Titus had come [Page 74]to Madrid, he would not haue omitted to visit me, for that he had by Letter from Valladolid pretended to my assistance towards the conferring on him holy orders, which I could not allow of, by reason of the very ill Character I had recei­ued of his life, & manners, which afterwards caused his expulsion out of that Colledge.

Likewise I do Protest, & declare that although I doe know the most Excellent Lord Sir Will Godolphin, his Majesty's Embassadr. in this court, yet I neuer had any intimate Communication, or freindship with him: nor euer made vnto, or heard from the sayd Embass. any publick, or priuate discourse concerning any religious matter whatsoeuer, nor concerning the Government, or state of assayres in England, Ireland, or Scotland, or concerning any chang made, or to be made in the Government there of, nor concerning any office to be exercised by him, the sayd Embass. in England: & that I neuer receiued from any Person, any Letter, or paper whatsoeuer directed vnto, or intended for the sayd Embass.

All which I do declare by my Consecration, & ex abundami, per sancta Dei Euan­gelia, to be tru, & am ready to confirm the same by any oath, & solemn manner. & before any Publick, & Competent Authority, when euer the same shall be re­quired of me. In witnesse whereof I haue here vnto set my hand, & seal. This 10 day of February in the year of our Lord 1679. according to the new stile. Place † of the seal. [...] , Iames Lynok Arch-Bishop of Tuam. The Arch-Bishop of Tuam did sign & seal this paper in the presence of William Cooke, George Wakers, Du Moulin, Dauid Blake, Francis Arther, Theodore O Rorque, Dauid White.

I Iulian Hidalgo Aluarez scriuener of his Catholick Majesty Charles H. K. of Spaine, & publick Notary of Cuenca, & its Territory, do testify that on the day vnder written, in my presence, & before the witnesses vnder written the most Illustrious Lord Iames Lynch D. D. & Arch-Bishop of Tuam, residing at present in this of Cuenca, whom I testify, that I know, his Lordship sayd, & declared, & exprest that this Paper in English, is a tru copy of the Original made by his Grace at Madrid, in presence of the witnesses aboue named. And for greater Confirmation, in my presence, & of the witnesses following, he again declared, & tatifyed the same, & all its particular contents. Witnesses Iohn Hiacinthus de Velmar, Antomy Lopez, & Peter Aluarez H [...]dalgo, Cittizons of Cuenc [...], Made on the 6 of April, 1679. Iulian Hidalgo.

We vnder written Notarys of the Citty of Cuenca, do testify, that Iulian Hidalgo Aluarez, who hath signed this paper, is a Publick Notary of this Citty, whose Acts, writings & Instruments are held for authenticall, & of credit. Made at Cuenca 6. of April 1679. Antony de Sepuluenda, Blas Lopez de Haro. Martin Gom [...]z.

ATTESTATION B. Of Richard Duelly: that Oates neuer was at Madrid, neuer saw my Lord of Tuam. & of his behauiour at Valladolid.

I Richard Duelly of Loughreagh in the County of Galloway in the Kingdom of Irland, at present Resident in Madrid; do declare as followeth. That hauing liued in Valladolid about three yeares, & particularly throughout the whole year of our Lord 1677. I was there very intimately acquainted with Mr. Titus Oates, who commonly past there vnder the name of Titus Ambrose, & that I know his hand very well, & haue seen seuerall papers signed by himself, sometimes with the name of Titus Ambrose, & sometimes of Titus Oates. And that the sayd Oates came to the sayd Citty directly from Bilbao, & immediatly entred into the Colledge of S. Alban on the 1. of Iune 1677. where he remained till 30. of October following on which day he was expelled & returned directly to Bilbao, where he arriued without turning out of the ordinary road between that place & Valladolid, which I know by relation of the Mul [...]man, that accompanyed hym, & his own Letters written back on his arriuall at Bilbao, giuing account of this Iourny. And that I know he neuer came to Madrid, hauing been almost dayly conuersant with him, during his residence in Valladolid: in which time he was wont to expresse great resentments at the course of study, he had vndertaken, complaining exceedingly of the strict obseruances, & disciplin [...] of the sayd Colledge, & of the recollected manner of liuing there, which he was not able to endure: & also that he was not preferred before the rest of the Collegians by seuerall exemp­tions, which he pretended to, by reason of his age, & aduances in learning, as he thought, & especially of his great preferments, which he sayd he had left in the Church of England.

Moreouer I declare, that I know very well the most Reuerend Doctor Iames Lynch Arch-Bishop of Tuam, & that his Lordship was not at Valladolid, any part of the time of M [...] Oates his being there: for that hauing all that time communication with his grace by Letters, I was acquainted with all his motions, & could not but haue known it, if he had come to Valladolid, or had any personall meeting with Mr. Oates, I neuer heard of, & am well assured was not possible during M. Oates his being in Spain, my constant Correspondence with the one, & the other enabling me to know that they neuer came together, all that time. Likewise I do declare, that I haue seen the most Excellent Lord Sir Will. Godolphin, his Majesty's Embassado [...] in this court of Madrid, but [Page 76]that I neuer had any communication, or Speech with his Excell. in all my life.

To the truth of all which abouesayd, I do voluntariy swear in verbo Sacer­dotis, & by the Holy Ghospel. & will Confirme the same in any other solemne man­ner, & before any publick authority, Tribunall, or Court of Iustice in England or Spaine, wherevnto I may be called. Witnesse my hand this 10. February 1679. new stile. Richard Duelly. For the seal †. Witnesse besides those of the other Attestation, Peter Leuet. this Deposition is attested by Iulian Hidalgo Aluarez: & his Attestation confirmed by by Blas Lopez de Haro, Ant. de Sepulueda, & Ferdi­dinando Chill [...]on y Barea.

ATTESTATIONS C. Of many Jesuits. That many Iesuits neuer signed any Letter, or Pa­tents with any superiour. Nor euer was any such cyper as he mentions, nor a Σ. in any of their Generals seale.

WHere as M. Titus Oates page 2. of his Narratiue art. 3. says, that twelue Missioners were sent into Spain by Richard Ashby, R. Petres, Nic. Blundel, & Ch. Peters, as appeared by their Patents: & whereas p. 1. §. 1. & p. 4. §. 7. & p. 5. § 9. &. p 15. §. 23. &. 24. & p. 36. §. 56. & elswhere, he speakes of seuerall Letters, whereof each was from some superior of the Iesuits, signed by him, & by seuerall others jointly.

We whose names are subscribed to the originall deed do call God to wit­nesse, that it nether is, nor euer was the custom of the Society of Iesus since its settlement, to sign more then one person, any deed, ether Patents, or Letters. And that none euer sign any such thing with the Superiour.

And whereas p. 28. §. 40. & p. 33. §. 51. & p. 34. §. 52. & p. 38. §. 60. & p. 42. §. 62. & p. 46. §. 67. & elsewhere, he speakes of a Cypher vsed by Iesuits, in which 48. signifyes the King, 365. Westminster, 440. Windsore, 666. London, Barly broth the house of Commons, mum & chocolate the house of Lords, magpyes the Bishops, IHS, Iesuits &c.

We do in a like manner declare in the Presence of Almighty God to all men, that we neuer heard of any such Cypher before the Narratiue appeared; & that we are most certain there neuer was any such vsed by Iesuits. And to confirm this, we appeale to that, which, with other Papers, was taken in the Chambers of Mr. Whitebreade, & Mr. Mico.

And where in the tryal of Mr. Coleman p. 27. he says, that the Inscription [Page 77]of the seal of the General, of the Iesuits, is I. H Σ. we declare as aboue, that there neuer was a Σ. in any seal that euer we yet saw of the sayd General. For a confirmation of this we appeal to some Patents, & Letters of his, found in the Chambers abouesayd.

In testimony of the truth of these our Protestations, we haue set our hands to this Attestation.

Sigilli † Provincialis
  • M. K.
  • I. F.
  • I. W.
  • R. S.
  • W. M.
  • H. W.
  • C. B.
  • E. N.
  • A. H.

ATTESTATION D. Of the Citty of S. Omers: that Oates was not in England during the Congregation.

WE the Mayer, & Sherifs of the Citty of S. Omers, being surprized at the the report, that the English Fathers residing with vs, had about the be­ginning of the present year (by the negociation of one Titus Oates in France, & England) contriued & plotted a wicked Bloody Treason against their Natural Lord, the most excellent King of Great Brittain, & being the more amazed at it, since they had giuen through a long series of yeares a rare example amongst vs, not only of Learning, & Piety in particular, but Obedience in general to all Ciuil Magistrates & Gouvernours, a thing which makes the whole Society of Iesus hyghly respected, & esteemed by most of the Christian Princes of the World: we say, that being surprized at this report, we took (as far, as we could the Examination of the matter into hand, & therefore certisy, That it hath appeared to vs, by the Oaths of seuerall of the best, & ancientest schollers of that Seminary (the whole Colledge hauing offred to make the same Oath) that the sayd Titus Oates was not only effectiuely in the sayd Seminary at the end of April, & beginning of May 1678. but did constantly reside there, from the 10. of December 1677. to the 23. of Iune following, without euer being absent from thence, except one nyght in. Ianuary, at which time he was at Watten, two leagues distant from vs. The sayd Deponents also haue alleadged as a reason of this their knowledge, that they lodged, conuersed, drank, & eate with the sayd Oates in the sayd Seminary, all that while, he being at a distinct table alone, & did particularly take notice, that he was there in April, & May, as aboue sayd, as hauing seen him at that time constantly performe the office of Reader in the Sodality of the Students in [Page 78]the sayd Seminary, & as being present at the departure of one Killembe [...]k, alias Poole, an English Schollar, who went from this Citty the fifth day of the sayd month of May new stile, to take his Iourney into England. Jn witnesse whereof we haue caused the seal of the sayd Citty to be herevnto put: this 28. of December 1678.

Loco † Sigilli. I. Hanon.

ATTESTATION E. Of the Iesuits of the Seminary of S. Omers. That all, that Oates Charges them with, in general or particular, is false.

WHereas M. Titus Oates in his Narratiue, Articles 9. 11. 12. 13. 15. 18. 19. 21. 22. 24. 25. 26. 27. 39. 50. 74. 77. charges the Fathers of this Seminary, in general, or some of them in particular, as F. T. S. Richard Ashby, N. B. & G. C. with hauing receiued Letters, or sent them, signed by one or many Iesuits containing treasonable matters, as killing the K. or the D. & changing the the Gouernment ether by tumults from within, or succour from without the King­dom: we hauing examined seriously this charge, declare vpon Oath, jointly, & seuerally, that the charge is false in the whole & in euery part of it. And we more­ouer declare that it is vnheard of amongst vs, that others should signe Letters with their Superiors, as is sayd in the articles 1. 7. 9. 11 & others.

And whereas in the articks 4. 17. 18. 23 25. 36. 46. 56. accuses the Fathers Masters, & Lay brothers, of the sayd English Seminary in general, & some of them in particular, viz. T. S. Richard Ashby, E. N. E H. G. B. C. P. & George Walker, of hauing jointly, or seuerally written, signed, sealed, sent, or carryed Letters containing Treasonable things, as of killing the K. or D. changing the Gonernment, &c. We the sayd Iesuits, hauing seriously examined each particular point of this charg, do protest in the presence of Almighty God, that the whole & each point of the charg against them, or each of them, is false And they adde that be­sides being Knaues, had they designed such things, they must haue been fooles, & Madmen in writing them in plain termes for so long together: seing any one of those many Letters intercepted, would haue conuinced them of Treason.

And whereas in the Articles 28. 35. 61. 63. he accuses the Fathers Richard Ashby, N. B. & E. N to haue assisted at Consults or Conferences, or to haue rela­ted the resolution of them, in which were debated, & concluded treasonable matters, as of making away the King's sacred Person, by Poyson, shooting or stabbing, by chan­ging the Gouernment, by raysing the subjects in England, or his other Dominions, or [Page 79] ayde of Foreign Princes or Prince: The sayd fathers hauing considered the horrible crimes, with which they are charged, declare by Oath in the presence of God, that they neuer were present at any Metting, Consult, Congregation, or Assembly, nor euer heard, or spoke of any, where any Proposition was made, of such a horrid Nature. And as for the Congregation, which he calls a Consult, held at London the 24. & 26. of April st. v. of which he speakes Art. 28. they declare it was a Prouincial Congregation, which euery three yeares they hold: that not of their Seminar assisted at it, Richard Ashby being hindred by sicknesse, & the rest not capable to enter into it, for want of Antiquity of the order. And whereas Titus Oates hath often sworn, that he was present at it, we declare it is notorious to the whole Seminary, consisting of 200. persons, that he neuer stirred from S. Omers all that time, as hath been deposed by many, who conuerst with him there all that time.

And whereas the sayd Oates in the Articles 12. 16. 20. 29. & 70. accuses the sayd Fathers, & some of them in particular, as Richard Ashby, E. N. N. B. C. P. & G C. to haue spoken, or heard words, made sermons, or held discourse injurious to his Majesty, or his R. H. intimating an intention, or design, to attempt vpon the Person of both, or ether of them: & alter the Religion or Gouernment by force, and violence, or to derogate from the iust ryghts of ether. We, the sayd Fathers, do protest in the presence of God, & swear, that we neuer spoke such words made such sermons, held such discourse, or took any resolution, or deliberated about changing ether state or Church by force, or Violence.

And whereas Oates Art. 30. says or insinuates, that F. Richard Ashby was present, when the death of him, who put into English the Iesuits morals, of D. Stillingfleet, & of Poole the Authour of Synopsis Criticorum, was resolued: as also charges him with bringing into England instructions to procure the death of the Bishop of Hereford. The sayd Richard Ashby protests in the presence of God, that he neuer assisted at any such bloudy deliberation, nor euer brought any such instructi­ons, or Memorials into England.

The sayd Fathers, Masters & Lay Brothers declare that they omit in this Affidauit the crimes charged on F. Robert Bret, F. Ant. P. & F. T. Fer. in the sayd Nara­ratiue, the first being dead, & the other two remoued from this Seminary, when this Declaration was demanded of vs.

We do in alike manner declare, that if there be any other thing charged vpon them in the sayd Narratiue, not specifyed here, it is omitted meerely by ouersyght; & not for any truth contained in the Accusations, what euer they be: & we hope, that Oates being clerely Perjured in so many points, will find no credit in the rest.

  • Th. Stap.
  • W. P.
  • I. C.
  • Richard Ashby
  • E. H.
  • W. C.
  • E. N.
  • C. P.
  • W. W.
  • N. B.
  • W. C.
  • T. R.
  • Ant. Selosse
  • F. W.
  • George Walker

ATTESTATION. E. Of the Rector of Watten. That Oates was not at the Congregation, His behauiour at S. Omers & causes of his dismission. About the Letters to the Emperour's court, &c.

BE it known to all men: that R. F. Fran. Wil. Rector of the Nouiciat of the English Prouince at Watten in the Country of Flandres, appeared before vs, the Bayly, & Sherifs of its Preuosté, the day of the date of this deed declaring he was the man named in seueral parts of the Narratiue of Titus Oates, deposed vpon Oath what follows.

To the contents of the 17. Article, that he neuer held correspondence with the Emperour's Confessor, or any other in that Court: That he neuer read, saw, writ, sent, or consented to any Letter directed to any Person in the Imperial court & is fully perswaded there neuer was any such Letter written, it being flatly contrary to the practice of the Society, to write such Letters, or meddle with such intrigues of state.

To the contents of the 27. & 28. Articles, concerning the Congregation, he declares in a like manner, that he began his Ionrny from Watten for London, on the 14. April, that on the 30. April he left London, & arriued back at Watten on the 5. of May following. That he went in Company of R. F. W. M. Rector of Gant, & met R. F. I. W. Rector of Liege at London, he having taken his way by Holland. Which three are all, who came from beyond sea, to the Congregation. And he declares vpon Oath; that during all those 21. days of his absence from Watten, he neuer saw Titus Oates; by sea, or land, on the way or at Towne: for as or the other persons named in the Narratiue to haue come ouer, viz, Titus Oates, Sir I Warner, Sir Robert Bret, Sir Th. Preston, Baronets, M. Neuil, & M. Pool, is is certain none of them came ouer, as appeares by the Attestations of the seueral houses, where they resided. For Sir I. W. remained at Watten Vice Master of Nouices during the absence of the Deponent, where four times a week he made Exhortations, or spirituall Lessons to the Nouices: & directed the Workmen in a repa­ration [Page 81]of a building there. sir T. P. stayd at Liege, & sir Rob. Bret. at S. Omers.

Moreouer he declares, that the Congregation met only on two days, the 24. & 26 of April: & that was nether at the white horse Tauern, nor any other place in the strand: that it neuer diuided into clubs, or Companys nether was there euer any proposition made of Diuiding in that nature.

To the contents of the 38. Art. he says in a like manner vpon Oath, that during the seuen yeares of his Rectorship at Watten, no Missioner designed for Holland came to that house: that it appeares by the day-book of the house, that on the 31. of Iuly 1678. not one stranger lodged at Watten: that at that time, Mr. White, was at Liege on the borders of Germany, as can be proued by Letters dated thence, which are to be seen at Watten, yet Oates sweares Mr. White was then at S. Omers, which two places, Liege & S. Omers, are 50. leagues, or 150. miles asunder.

The Deponent doth declare in general, that the English Iesuits neuer treated or deliberated about any matters of state or any conspiracys, & had he perceiued any such thing, he would neuer haue entred amongst them. That Titus Oates could neuer be employed by them in any businesse: he being vnknown to them till the year 1677. that then he was receiued as a meer Neophit, without any Lan­guage but his Mother-Tongue, & a little Latin: wherefore they sent him to Valla­dolid. That althô he gaue so little satisfaction there, that he was turned away after about four months stay, yet by his importunity, & promises of amend­ment he got admittance into the Seminary at S. Omers, where he was put to study amongst the Rhetoricians. That within a fortnyght after his setling there, he was found to be of a bad, & hypocondriacal humour, rash, indiscreet, turbulent & vindicatiue, a great flatterer, boaster & Lyer. Jn so much as some reflecting on his little Deuo­tion, & bold & inquisitiue humour, suspected him to be sent as a spy by some enemy to Religion. His greatest freinds thought him to be but half a Catholick, all suspected in him a secret auersion to Monarchicall Gouernment, & to the Royal family of England; for which he being reprehended by the Deponent, he excused it by allea [...]ging his bree­ding amongst the Puritans. All which this Depenent knows to be certainly tru, as hauing been of the Consult, when M. Whitebread proposed his admission into the Society: in which it was resolued to dismisse him, as being nether a good Christi­an to God, nor a good subject to his King. That the Deponent writ to Mr. Ireland, to acquaint Mr. Keynes, Mr. Fenwick, & others, to haue care of dealing with him, because of his murmurations, calumnyes, & threates: & of spyght, & desire of Reuenge. (By which any one may guesse how probable it is, he should be so intimate with all those Iesuits, after his return to London.)

The same day appeared before vs R. F. William Sanky, alias Dichseild, named [Page 82]in the 17. Article of the Narratiue, as joying with the Rector, & Sir I. W. to send a Letter to the Confessor of the Emperour. Who deposed vpon oath, that he neuer saw, nor heard of any such Letter: nor euer held any Correspondence with the sayd Con­fessor, or any other Person, or Persons of the Imperial Court.

In witnesse of this, we haue ordred this deed to be signed by our Greffier, & sealed with the seale of our Lordship & Preuosté. This 27. of October 1679.

Loco † Sigilli. DE LA FOSSE.

ATTESTATION. G. Of Mr.Stange. Concerning tumults in Scotland, Burnings of London. &c.

WHereas Titus Oates in his Narratiue, through many §§. most falsly, & injuriously slanders me, Richard Strange, of many treasonable, & horrid Proceedings, in vindication of my Innocency from them all, J do by these in the sight of God, & vpon the word of a Preist, & Religious man, & by all that is sacred, testify, & assert that nether in the generality of them, nor in any one Particular, there is not one tru word, much lesse Deposition: & I take it vpon my Saluation, that I neuer treated with the sayd Titus Oates in all my life about any Matters of such a Nature.

And to descend to Particulars: whereas he says §. 1. that I. Ric. Strange writ a Letter to F. Swiman, or Sweeteman in Spain, about the embroyling of Scotland, & sending some thither for that end: I call God to witnesse, there is not one word tru, As nether in the 4 §. where he deposes, that the Prouincial of New-Castile writ to F. I. K. & me, that if the King could be dispatcht, we should haue 10000. l. for our paines. As also what is contained in the former §. 7. of which, as to the one, or the other, or any part of them, not one word of Truth.

Item, what he deposes §. 11. of a Letter sent by me the sayd R. Str. & others of the Society at London, to those at S. Omers about stirring vp the Presbiteriam in Scotland, & all the other Riff Raff, of that §. is as false, as any thing the Deuil euer spoke.

Item, what he deposes in the 9. §. of a Letter writ by me, & others, of an intent to stab the King at Whitehall to the FF. at S. Omers: or by a Physitian to Poyson him: & what he writes §. 13. of another Letter sent to S. Omers, for F. Leshee, about aduancing, & designing the Death of the K & his R. H.

Item, what he deposes, §§. 34. & 49. so long, & lowd with Lyes, about the burning of London, & Southwarke, by the sayd Ric. Str. what hand he had in it, & [Page 83]what booty, & plunder he made in it: which none will beleiue, but such as are as great fooles, as himself. In disclaim of all these damnable ealumnyes, I appeal to the God of truth, & subser the my name At Gant 24. Nouember 1679.

Richard Strange.

ATTESTATION. H. Of Liege That Sir Th. Preston stirred not thence.

WE, the Escheuins of the Hygh court of Iustice of his most serene Hyghnesse, in the Citty & Country of Liege, To all those, to whom these presents shall come, greeting. We do certify, & attest, That a Petition being presented to vs in our ordinary Consistory, in the Palace of his sayd Hyghnesse, on the be halfe of Sir Thomas Preston Knyght, & Baronet, residing at the English Colledge of this Citty, that whereas the sayd Sir Th. Preston during the greatest part of the yeare 1678. & more especially in the months of March, April, May, & Iune, did con­stantly reside in the sayd Colledge, he, the sayd Sir Th. Preston hauing petitioned, that we in fauour of the Truth, would hear a great many witnesses, which he had to produce, we condescended vnto his sayd Petition as reasonable & iust, & haue accordingly heard vpon Oath fourteen Creditable Persons, who haue all vnani­mously, vpon their respectiue Oaths declared, & attested that the sayd Sir Th. Preston Knyght, & Baronet did reside all the time aforesayd, at the Colledge aforesayd, & particularly in the months of March, April, May, & Iune, in the yeare 1678. & that he was not absent so much as one nyght during the sayd time: & they fur­ther haue attested that they knew this to be tru in that they resided all in the sayd Colledge, & there saw, & conuerst dayly with him. Giuen at our Court of Iustice this 28. of March 1679.

Loco † Sigilli By order of the Hygh Court of Iustice aboue sayd DE BERNIMOLIM per BONHOMME.

A like certificate came from Watten, shewing that Sir Iohn Warner neuer stird thence, during the time of the Congregation. Jt is signed by ten Persons. The same is also contained in the Attest. F.

ATTESTATION I. That I. W. went by Holland into England.

THe year of our Lord 1679. on the 1. day of April, at the request of I. W. Iesuit there appeared before me Daniel Guyot, Notary of this town of Antwerpe, Michaël Knobbaert stationer, & Alexander Goetiers, both Cittizens, [Page 84]residing in this Citty, known to me, the sayd Notary in the presence of the Wit­nesses vnderwritten, who sayd & deposed vpon their Oaths, that they were present, & saw the sayd I. W. in secular cloaths, take shipping on the 19. day of April of the last yeare 1678. in the ordinary boat of the Hague, William Carnelissen being Master of it, to passe thence into England. And in testimony of this Truth, the sayd Deponents desired me to giue this Act in due forme. Which was done & past in Antwerpe in the Presence of Ioseph vander Cruissen Notary, & Henry Paim [...]ert, as Witnesses. And the Deponents signed the Note of this Act in the Register of my office.

Witnesse my hand & Manuall signer D. GVYOT, Notary.

Obseruation. Oates in his Narratiue calls this Father, Iohn Warren. He mista­kes in the name, but this Attestation concernes the Person he meanes, viz, the Rector of Liege.

ATTESTATION K. Of Thomas Fermer.

WHereas Mr. Titus Oates in the 4. Art. of his Narrat. says that he saw at Valladolid certain treasonable Letters sent thither by the Fathers of S. Omers, & by me with the rest dated on the 10. of Iune 1677. J call God to Witnesse, I neuer signed any such Letters, nor heard of them, till the Narratiue appeared. And that I was not then, nor had been in the seuen forgoing yeares, at S. Omers.

And whereas in the 16. Art. he says, that I. & E. N spoke treasonable words to him, in the Library. I do in a like manner protest, that I do not remember, that we three euer met in that place: but I am certain I neuer spoke any such words, or word.

And whereas in the 17. Art. he names me, as Ioyning with others in a Letter sent to the Emperour's Confessor, containing seuerall Malicious & Traiterous Reflections, on the King's intentions to the Consederates. I in a like manner protest in the presence of Almighty God, that I neuer writ, or concurred to the writing of any such Letter, & neuer heard of any such thing, till the Narratiue was made Publicke.

Witnesse my hand. T. F.

ATTESTATION L. Of Vallado'id. That Oates neuer was at Madrid.

I Ioseph Morales Notary Royal, & Burgesse of the Citty of Valladolid do testify, that on the day vnderwritten, R F. Manuël Calataynd Rector of the Colledge of S. Alban, & R. F. Domingo Ramos Procurator of the sayd Colledge came before [Page 85]me, & vpon Oath declared in due forme, that it is certainly tru, that the named Titus Ambrose, aliàs Oates, came to the sayd Colledge, on the first day of Iune, 1677. betwixt 4 & fiue in the Euening, as appeared by the day book of the Colledge, & from that day till Saturday, the 30. of October, he neuer past one nyght out of it. They sayd that he was of a Low stature, thick shouldred, Brounish hayr, his beard more reddish then his head, about thirty yeares old. At their request I haue giuen this Testimony in Valladolid 20. of December 1678. And they declared that they had giuen an other Declaration to the same Purpose.

Signed Manuël de Calatayned. Domingo Ramos.
In Testimony of Truth Ioseph Morales.

And three other Notarys Ped [...]o de Le [...]ora, Iuan Mir Martinez, & Gaspar Rodri­guez de Los Rios, testify that Ioseph Morales is a Publicke Notary.

ATTESTATION M. Of a Muleman.

ON the same day, Iuan de Sandobal a Muleman deposed vpon Oath before the same Notary, that he accompanyed Oate from Valla [...]olid to Bilbao, where he arriued on the 3. of Nouember. He mentions seuerall pranks of Oates vpon the way. This Oath is attested by the same Notary.

ATTESTATION N. Of Bilbao Marchants.

IN the town of Bilbao on the 2. of Ianuary 1679 stilo nouo, came before me, Iuan Baptista de Asturiaza [...]a, Notary of the sayd town, Edward Sal, Mi­chaël Hore, & Iohn Grate residing in it: & vpon Oath, which they voluntarily made, they sayd, & declared, that they know Titus Ambrose aliàs Oates, an English man that he came to this town on the 16. of May 1677. new stile, in the Biscay Marchant, Lucas Ro [...]h being Master of it: that he stayd here about ten days, & then set out hence for Vallidolid, with Martin de Lorniz Espinosa, a Muleman of this town, who vpon his return assured vs he had carryed him streyght to that place, & left him in the Colledge of S. Alban: where they heard he continued till he came back to this place, where he arriued on the 3. of No­uember of that same year. And lodged in the house of Iohn Grace, one of the Deponents, till he took shipping in the Bilbao Marchant, Thomas Richard Master, for Top sam, on the 10. of Nouember of the same year, stilo nouo.

On the same day appeared before me Martin de Lorniz Espinosa, who vpon Oath declared, he knew the sayd Titus Ambrose, as hauing accompanyed him from this town to Valladolid, where they arriued on the beginning of Iune, & left him in the English Colledge there. That he beleiued Oates neuer stirred out of the sayd Colledge, because as often as he past that way, he called at the Colledge, & found Oates there. That about the end of Iune he went with William Baron, & Michaël Hore, hence to Madrid, & stayd with them till the 24. of Iuly, & then on his way home, at Valladolid about the end of Iuly he found Oates there. And that at the beginning of Nouember, going hence to Valladolid he met Oates on the road hither, with a Muleman of Valladolid. The Deponents declare they know Oates very well, because Michaël Hore, & Iohn Grace releiued him with mony. And all the Deponents signed this Deed, except Martin who cannot write.

Edward Sal. Michel Hore, Iohn Grace.
I, the publick Notarys aboue named, do testify, that the Persons aboue named made the sayd Oath.
Iuan Baptista de Asturiazasa, Publ Not.

And two other Publick Notarys of the same town testify, that he is a publick Notary. viz: Francisco de Galbaruarte, & Antonio de Hostend.

ATTESTATION O. Of C. P.

WHereas Titus Oates charges me in the 3. Art. of his Narratiue to haue giuen Patents to certain Missioners, to go into Spain: I declare in the presence of Almighty God, J nether did it, nor euer had power to giue or sign any Patents.

And whereas Art. 4. he charges me with subscribeing treasonable Letters to the Iesuits at Valladolid J declare in alike manner, I neuer writ, or subscribed any such Letter to any Iesuit, or Iesuits in Spain, or any other who soeuer.

And whereas Art. 20. he charges me to haue spoken treasonable words, of K Charles I I declare in the presence of Alm. God to all the world I neuer sayd any such word, & that I neuer had heard of any such thing, till the Narratiue was printed.

And whereas Art. 17. he says I with others sent a Letter, or Letters, to the Emperour's Confessor to aduise him to enforme the Emperour of some bad inten­tions of our King towards the Confederates: I declare I neuer writ, nor heard of writeing of any Letter whatsoeuer, to the Emperour's Confessor or any Person in Court. In witnesses whereof I set my hand.

C. P.

ATTESTATION P. Of W. M.

ALl that concernes that R. F. hath been so euidently confuted, & what hath been sayd in his defence is so notoriously tru, that I haue not thought it necessary, to desire a particular Attestation of him, to confirm it. Which otherwise he is ready to giue, hauing often protested all is false, that is contained against him in the Narratiue.

ATTESTATION Q. E. N.

ALl that is charged vpon E. N. being exprest in the General Affidauit made by the Iesuits of S. Omers, & he hauing signed, & sworn to the truth of it, with the rest, that may suffice.

ATTESTATION R. Of B. L.

B.L. appearing before the Bayly, & Escheuins of Watten, vpon Oath made before them declared, that he was accused by Titus Oates of many horrid crimes, viz, of conspiring against the life, & Gouernment of his Majesty, of promo­ting an Insurrection of Puritans in Scotland, to haue written treasonable Letters to Spain, to haue suborned a Ruffian to murther the King: to haue resolu [...]d in a Consult at the Whitehorse Tauerne in the Strand, the King's death, to haue promist 10. l. to Oates, to kill William Bury, for writing in fauour of the Oaths: & that he had plotted with some Irish, about an Iasurrection in Irland

The sayd B. L. vpon his Oath declares, that he assisted at the Congregation on the 24. & 26. of April 1678 that it neuer met in the strand, That nether Oates, nor F. Ant. Poole, nor the three Baronets Sir R. Bret, Sir I. Warner, nor Sir Th. Preston, nor the Fathers E. N. G. Gray, N Blun. nor Iohn Fenwicke were at it, that there was no Proposition made in it against the honour, or life of his Majesty's sacred Person, or the Peace of his Gouernment; but only of the priuate affaires of the Society. That he neuer heard of any conspiracy in Scotland, or Ir­land: nor euer corresponded with any Person, who writ about them to him. That he neuer spoke to Oates or any other, about marthering Will. Berry. In fine he declares in alike manner, that hee neuer writ, or receiued any Letter, or Letters, to, or from Spain, or any other part of the world, concerning any attempt whatsoeuer made, or to be made vpon his Majesty.

In testimony of all, & euery part of this Deposition, the Magistrates of Watten [Page 88]caused this to be signed by their Greffier, & sealed with the seale of the Lordship. 27. October 1679.

Loco † Sigilli. DE LA FOSSE.

ATTESTATION. S. Of N. Blundel.

WHereas Titus Oates in his Narratiue accuses me N. Blundel, in the 14. Art. of hauing taught children in London seditious Doctrines, & in the 62.69.71. & 77. Articles, to haue vndertaken to burn Westminster, & Wapping, with the vesselles vpon the riuer, as also Tooly street, Barnaby street, &c. & to that intent to haue prepared fire-balls, which I called Teuxbury-mustard-Balls; And in the 72. Art. to haue shewd Oates a Bull from the Pope, by which he dispo­sed of almost all the Bishopricks, Prebendarys, & Dignitys of England. And Art. 74. to haue receiued Letters about commotions in Scotland, & Iesuits sent to promote them. And Art. 75. to haue receiued another, about the discouery of the Plot. I declare to all the world, in the presence of Almighty God, that those accusations are false in whole, & in ea [...]h part: & vpon Oath I declare, that I neuer knew in what part of the world Wapping was situated, till I had enquired about it, since the Publishing of this Narratiue, finding in it my self accused of designing to fire it.

N. BLVNDEL.

ATTESTATION T. Of Mr. Irland.

WHereas Mr. Oates on Munday the last of September 78. produced a Letter & took his Oath, that I writ it from S. Omers about the mid­dle of August before, & the other witnesse in Court, that he saw me in Mr. Harcourt's Chamber in Dukestreet about the later end of the same August. I say, that hauing bought a horse of one Mr. Thomas Eccleston out of Lancashire, stan­ding at the Red Lyon in Drury-Lane, on Saturday the third of August, 1678. about two of the clock in the afternoon; hauing paid Richard the Hostler for the stan­ding of my horse, in the presence of Mr. Perkinson Master of the Inn (as I took him to be) & Mr. Fenwick, I took horse, & that pyght came to Standen beyond Ware. Sunday the 4 l dined with Sr. Edward Southcot, Mr. Francis Gage, Mr. Per­sons, [Page 89]Mr. Hinde the Parson of the town, & other cheife inhabitants, inuited by my Lord Aston. Monday the 5. J went with my Lord, Sir Edw. Southcot, Mr. Gage, & seruants, to S. Albans, & ioyned Sir Iohn Southcot, his Lady, Children, & Servants, at the Bull, as I take it. Tuesday the 6. we lodged at the Georg in Northampton. Wednesday the 7. at the Bull, as I take it, at Couentry. Thursday the 8. we came to Tixhall, stayd there the 9.10.11. & Tuesday the 13. leauing my horse to haue his Back cured by the smith, I borrowed another & went with Sir Iohn Southcot, Sir Edw. Mr. Francis Aston, Children, & Seruants, Item my old Lady Aston to Nantwich, & lodged at the Lamb, as I take it. Wednesday the 14. I lodged at the star in Holy-well. Thursday the 15. J came back ouer the Sand, & lodged at Chester, at the Grey-hound, as I take it. Friday the 16. came back to Tixhall, Saturday the 17. went vpon my own horse to Woluerhampton to see two Aunts, stayd there the 18.19.20.21.22.23.24.25. in that time I saw Mr. Pursal, son to Mr. Pursal, come from London to see his Father, & freinds. Item Mr. Charles Gifford came to see his brother Thomas, where I lodged, with my Aunt Harewel. Once I dined at Mr. Winfords, where was his Niece, Sir Iohn Winfords daughter. After dinner came two of Esq. Luson's daughters, & others, to play at Cards. Friday the 23. I went with Mr. Windfords daughter & Niece &c. to Litchfeild, dined at the George, & were shew'd the Minster by Mr. Shirly School­master of the place, & his Wife, their Kindred, & returned to Woluerhampton. Monday the 26. J went back to Tixhal. Tuesday the 27 I was at the Horse-race, at Edginhil, where Sir H. Goff, distanced Mr. Chetwins. Wednesday the 28. I dined at Bellamour, inuited by Mr. Walter Aston, with others. Thursday, the 29. at Tix­hal Bowling Green I saw Mr. Chetwin, spoke particularly with Sir Thomas Whit­graue, Mr. Iohn Powtrel, & his Brother William of Westhalam in Darby shire, Mr. Walter, & Mr. Iohn Aston, Mr. Fowler, & his Sons, &c. & that nyght went home with Mr. Heueningham, & Sir Iames Simons, his Son-in law, to Aston, & part of the way with Mr. Draycot, & one Mr. Collier. Friday the 30 stayd there. Saturday the 31. I went home with Mr. Richard Gerard of Hilderston. Sunday the first stayd there. Monday the 2. with him I dined at one Mr. Cromptons, with Mr. Bidle my Lady Goring's Son-in law, & through Stafford, & Pancridge came that nyght to Boscobel. Tuesday the 3. of September, stayd there. Wednesday the 4. came again to Weluer­hampton, to my Aunt at Mr. Thomas Giffords, stayd there the 5. & 6. Saturday I went back to Tix-hal. Sunday the 8 stayd there. Monday the 9. with Sir Iohn Southcot, my Lady Children & Seruants, I came to the Bull, as I take it, at Couentry. Tuesday the 10. we lodged at the Altar-stone in Banbury Wednesday the 11. I met Robert Hill Mr. Benjamin Hinton's man vpon the Road, & spoke to him: baited at Alisbury, & lodged about 11. miles beyond, I haue forgot the town, & Inn. [Page 90] Thursday the 12. we bayted at Kingston, & came home to Mestham. Friday the 13. I stayd there, & sold my horse for 7. l. to Mr. Iohn Southcot. Saturday the 14. I came vpon him, with William, Sir Iohn's man, to leade him back, set vp in Southwarke, & came ouer to Somerset-house Stayres, to my Lodging at the White-hart with the sayd William. This 23. of December 1678.

W. Ireland.

ATTESTATION V. Of Mr. G. Coni. Extracted out of a Letter, dated 26. February 1680.

Hond. Sir.

THough I haue seen the Book (Oates's Narratiue) yet I neuer thought it worth the while, to read Romances, at this age. Yet to Comply with your desire, I will giue you a tru, & full account of what I know of M Oates. About the 9. or 10. of August was a twelue month I went to wish a good iourny to two Gentlemen of my acquaintance, then in London: there I found a third Gent­leman also of my acquaintance, & a Fourth, whose face I had neuer seen After the ordinary ciuilitys, & declaration they had no businesse together, I made one of the Conuersation. The Discourse was common, & Innocent: where this Fourth person brought in something out of scripture concerning the tribe of Benjamin, so far from any thing of what was talked of, & deliuered his notions with so ill a Grace, that I entertained this opinion of him, that he was a weake, & forward Man. That discourse being soon ended, I afterwards learnt, he had been a Parson, was turned Roman Catholick, had been some time at S Omers: his name, Oates. To my knowledge I neuer had heard of the name of Oates before, nor saw him since, till

About the beginning of September following, walking alone in Grays-Inn-Walkes betwixt 11. & 12. this Mr. Oates thrust himself alone into my Company: when hauing giuen the same Character of himself. he fell, in my Iudgment, to downryght begging: for hauing told me, he had lost 4. or 500 l. a year in Benefices for his Religion, what considerable Preferments My Lord Bp. of London had offred him, to return to the Ch. of England: how he wondred no better Prouision was made in the Roman Church for Persons so well qualified as himself. That his Faculty in Preaching was much taken notice of, his Cheife employ hauing been to preach before the IVDGES. He told me, he was reduced to that necessity, that he was forced some times to take such a Walk insteed of his dinner: & desired me of all kindness to preferr him to some Gentleman [Page 91]to teach his children: meat, drink, lodging, & 10. l. a year would satisfy him. This, hond. Sir in the presence of God, is all I know of that Mr. Oates, or any of his name, & all the times I euer to my knowledge saw him, & all the discourse I euer had with him. You cannot doubt how willing I was to ridd my self of such a Man, who for ought I knew, myght be any thing, as well, as what he represented himself to me, or others, with whom he found more beleife, then with me, or a better opinion of his parts, & vertu: & so with the Ordinary Ciuilitys, I dismist my self of him. I am Your &c. G. C.

P. S. I am informed this Oates swore against Coniers, that he manifested his trea­sonable design in Grays-Inn-walks. Nothing but a Mad-man could doe so, in a place of as Publicke resort, as a Market.

ATTESTATION X. Of Ioseph Forster.

WHereas Titus Oates in his Narratiue art. 10. sayes hee went to Paris, and about the 18. of December 1677. deliuered there certain letters to P. Le Shee (as hee cals the Confessor to the King of France) Item art. 29. that hee with 8. or 9. others went from S. Omers to London, and met in Consult with Mr. Thomas Whitebread and other Iesuits, and that within 3. or 4. days after hee returned to S. Omers with the said Fathers who went with him.

J. Ioseph Forster haueing been constantly Porter of the English Colledge at S. Omers when T. Oates arriued there on the 10. of December 1677. sty. No. about 3. or 4. a clock after Dinnar, and continued in that Office till the 21. of Iune 1678. without being absent (if at al) aboue one half day from the Gate al that time, do declare in the presence of God Almighty, that the said Titus Oates neuer went out of the Colledge but onely once to Watten, where he stayed onely one night or two at most; of which I am most certain, because by rea­son going about the house to cal people to the Gate, I frequently met him. Moreouer during his aboad at S. Omers he sate alone at a table almost opposite to that where I sate, and this euery day, except some 5. or 6 on which he was sick in the Infirmary, and the two days he was at Watten, and I think also some few days whilst he was in the spiritual exercises that he came to the second Table Al which I declare to be true, vpon my hopes of salvation. So the con­tents of the 10. and 29. Articles are meer lyes.

I do in a like manner declare in the presence of Almighty God that neither Sr. Robert Bret Bart nor F. Antony Pool, nor F. Edward Neuil went from the said [Page 92]Colledge to England vpon Score of the Congregation or Consult, as he cals it: which I know because I converst with them al those two months April and May, as before and after: wherefore I am certain these three, as wel as T. Oates were at S. Omers al the time of the Congregation.

And I do in a like manner and vpon the same Protestation of my hopes of saluation declare that neither the Rector of Liege whom T. Oates cals F. Warren, Nor Sr. Thomas Preston euer were in the whole months of April or May 1678. at the said Colledge of S. Omers vnlesse they were invisible.

Item whereas T. Oates from Art. 11. to Art. 32. of his Narratiue swears he saw, read, or heard read seueral letters of dangerous consequence, as if he had at that time great commerce, familiarity, and intimacy with F. Richard Ashby then Rector. I declare that by reason of my Office of Porter I had dayly seueral occasions to go to the said Rector to carry him all the letters that came, and Acquaint him with al Comers and Goers and such things as happened about the Gate, and that generally speaking hee opened the letters which I brought in my presence, and sent mee to cal those whom they con­cerned, but I swear hee never called T. Oates at least by mee: and that I never found or saw Oates with him in al the frequent visits, which my Office obliged mee to make to the said Rector; Nay I was so far from perceaueing any familia­rity betwixt them, that quite contrary I often heard great complaints against the said T. Oates as that hee was vnfit for that house; that his company was dangerous among the young schollers, and that the Provincial ought to be de­sired to Order his speedy removeal thence: some said hee had no more Religion then a D [...]g: some told him this openly, and said, that hee was either a knave or a Fool. Besides sometimes hee was heard to hold dangerous discourses of Persons much better then himselfe, for which hee was once beaten by a scholler, and often severely reprehended by some Superiors. Item that when hee fel out with some of the Schollers (which by reason of his foul mouth and offensiue language hapned very often) hee applyed himself to mee to procure him audi­ence of R. F. Rector. Al which considered I leaue to any rational man to iudg whether it bee probable that hee had such free accesse and general communica­tion of letters and businesses, as hee pretends with the Rector. Jn witnesse of the truth of al these things here declared vpon my Oath and in the presence of Almighty God, I set my hand.

Ioseph Forster.

APPENDIX Bedlow's trauels, and Plots.

WIth the leaue of the pretended Doctor, I will giue a short, yet tru Ac­count of his Confederate Bedlow's journy through France & Spain, to ailay his Lying Ghost, which walkes about in a false Deposition giuen vp during his last sicknesse, as is reported.

He & his Brother acted by turns the Master & the man: & both con­curred to impose on those, whom they cheated: so I shall speak of both.

Jn the summer 1677. he came to Gant; taking the name of My Lord Newport: & thence to the Holland Camp, at, or neer Bruges & cheated Capt. Floyde of an English horse. He went thence by Doway (where he spoke with Dr. Gage President of the English Colledge) to Cambray, taking the name of My Lord Cornwallis, & borrowed of Mr. Lionel Sheldon, twelue Pieces. Thence he went to Paris, where with the same name he borrowed (as was sayd) 100. pistols of Dr. Gough bought very rich Linnen, & bespoke a sute worth 80. pistols of Groin an Irish man, dwelling rue de Seine aux trois Poissons Faubourg S. Germain. Thence he past to Rouën, & borrowed twelue pistols of Mr. Price Confessor to the English Nuns there.

Thence he past into Spain, & at Bilbao taking the name of the Lord Gerard, found credit with Mr. Franklin for 300. Doblons. He past thence to Salamanca, where on the 29. August, he visited F. Hierome Lincol, Rector of the Irish Colled­ge, told him he was going to Porto Porto to meet his train, & equipage: with which he expected a Blew Horse, which my Lord of Essex had giuen him, & he would present to the Duke of Florence. That he had some doubts about Reli­gion: which none but his Holinesse should answer. He hired thence Mules for Porto Porto, & was aduanced on his way thither as far as Lamorra: where he was ouertaken by a Sergeant of the Chancery of Valladolid, at the request of Mr. Franklin, who hauing heard he was a Cheate, pursued him, to recouer his mony.

The two Brothers were thence conueyghed Prisoners to Valladolid, but being set free, they visited Mr. Oates in the English Colledge there: who left them in Chamber, whilst he went to get them a dinner, & they the meane while were not idle, for finding ten pieces of eyght in a Drawer, they tooke them away as appeares by a letter written by Oates to F. Suiman: which is to be seen at S. Omers: in which he laments the losse of his mony, & much more that of a [Page 94]Book, which they stole from him at the same time. Thence they went by Santiago to Corunna (la Groin) where they imbarked for England.

Now I grant that Capt. Bedlow went Plotting thorough Flanders, France, Spain, for this whole Relation discouers it: but his Plotting was not against his Sacred Majesty's Person, or Gouernment but against the purses of honest men, whom he & his Brother endeauoured to cheate. In the Original Rela­tion of his trauels in Spain, as also in Oates's Letter, seueral more pranks of his are specifyed, which will be made publicke by another pen. Hence it appeares, that, if he did at his Death depose the things, which are publisht, he dyed as he liued, Cheating, & Lying. Qualis Vita, finis ita. God Blesse all Christians from such a life, & such a Death.

THe Originalls of all these Attestations, or Authenticall Copyes of them are kept in the English Seminary at S. Omers, (that being thought the most conuenient place) & shall be shewn to any, who desire for their satisfaction to see them.

‘Delatores, genus hominum publico exitio repertum & paenis quidem numquam satis coercitum, per praemia elicitum.’Tacitus lib. 4. Annal.‘Informers, a sort of men found out to procure the Publick ruin: whom no punishments could sufficiently curb or bridle, were inuited & encouraged by Rewards.’
FINIS.

THe Courteous Reader is desired to correct several falts chiefly against Ortography, which happened by the Printers beeing a Stranger and ignorant of our Language.

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