Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors]

count for the progress of the POPISA PLOT, and the credit given to it; an event, which would otherwise appear prodigious and altogether inexplicable. On the 12th of August, one Kirby, a chemist, accosted the king, as he was walking in the park: Sir,' said he, keep within the company: your enemies have a design upon your life; and you may be shot in this very walk. Being asked the reason of these strange speeches, he said, that two men, called Grove and Pickering, had engaged to shoot the king, and sir George Wakeman, the queen's physician, to poison him. This intelligence, he added, had been communicated to him by doctor Tongue; whom, if permitted, he would introduce to his majesty. Tongue was a divine of the church of England; a man active, restless, full of projects, void of understanding. He brought papers to the king, which contained information of a plot, and were digested into forty-three articles. The king, not having leisure to peruse them, sent them to the treasurer, Danby, and ordered the two informers to lay the business before that minister. Tongue confessed to Danby, that he himself had not drawn the papers, that they had been secretly thrust under his door and that, though he suspected, he did not certainly know, who was the author. After a few days he returned, and told the treasurer, that his suspicions, he found, were just; and that the author of the intelligence, whom he had met twice or thrice in the street, had acknowledged the whole matter, and had given him a more particular account of the conspiracy, but desired that his name might be concealed, being apprehensive lest the papists should murder him. The information was renewed with regard to Grove's and Pickering's intentions of shooting the king; and Tongue even pretended, that, at a particular time, they were to set out for Windsor with that intention. Orders were given for arresting them, as soon as they should appear in that place: but though this alarm was more than once renewed, some frivolous reasons were still found by Tongue, for their having delayed the journey. And the king concluded, both from these evasions, and from the mysterious, artificial manner of communicating the intelligence, that the whole was an imposture. Tongue came next to the treasurer, and told him, that a pacquet of letters, written by jesuits concerned in the plot, was that night to be put into the post-house for Windsor, directed to Bennifield, a jesuit, confessor to the duke. When this intelligence was conveyed to the king, he replied, that the pacquet mentioned had a few hours before been brought to the dake by Beunifield; who said, that he suspected some bad design upon him, that the letters seemed to contain matters of a dangerous import, and that he knew thein not to be the hand-writing of the persons whose names were subscribed to them. This incident still further confirmed the king in his incredulity. The matter had probably sleeped for ever, had it not been for the anxiety of the

duke; who, hearing that priests and jesuits, and even his own confessor, had been accused, was desirous that a thorough inquiry should be made by the council into the pretended conspiracy. Kirby and Tongue were inquired after, and were now found to be living in close connection with Titus Oates, the person who was said to have conveyed the first intelligence to Tongue. Oates affirmed, that he had fallen under suspicion with the jesuits; that he had received three blows with a stick, and a box on the ear from the provincial of that order, for revealing their conspiracy: and that, overhearing them speak of their intentions to punish him more severely, he had withdrawn, and concealed himself. This man, in whose breast was lodged a secret, involving the fate of kings and kingdoms, was allowed to remain in such necessity, that Kirby was obliged to supply him with daily bread; and it was a joyful surprise to him, when he heard that the council was at last disposed to take some notice of his intelligence. But as he expected more encouragement from the public, than from the king or his ministers, he thought proper, before he was presented to the council, to go with his two companions to sir Edmonsbury Godfrey, a noted and active justice of peace, and to give evidence before him of all the articles of the conspiracy.-The wonderful intelligence, which Oates conveyed both to Godfrey and the council, and afterwards to the parliament, was to this purpose. The pope, he said, on examining the matter in the congregation de propaganda, had found himself entitled to the possession of England and Ireland on account of the heresy of prince and people, and had accordingly assumed the sovereignty of these kingdoms. This supreme power he had thought proper to delegate to the society of jesuits; and de Oliva, general of that order, in consequence of the papal grant, had exerted every act of regal authority, and particularly had supplied, by commissions under the seal of the society, all the chief offices, both civil and military. Lord Arundel was created chancellor, lord Powis treasurer, sir William Godolphin privy seal, Coleman secretary of state, Langhorne attorney general, lord Bellasis general of the papal army, lord Peters lieutenant-general, lord Stafford paymaster; and inferior commissions, signed by the provincial of the jesuits, were distributed all over England. All the dignities too of the church were filled, and many of them with Spaniards and other foreigners. The provincial had held a consult of the jesuits under his authority; where the king, whom they opprobiously called the Black Bastard, was solemnly tried and condemned as a heretic; and a resolution taken to put him to death. Father le Shee (for so this great plotter and informer called father la Chaise, the noted confessor of the French king) had consigned in Loudon ten thousand pounds to be paid to any man who should merit it by this assassination. A Spanish provincial had expressed like liberality:

wind. Fire-balls were familiarly called among them Teuxbury mustard pills; and were said to contain a notable biting sauce. In the great fire, it had been determined to murder the king; but he had displayed such diligence and humanity in extinguishing the flames, that even the Jesuits relented, and spared his life. Besides these assassinations and fires; insurrections, rebellions, and massacres, were pro

the prior of the Benedictines was willing to go the length of six thousand: the Dominicans approved of the action; but pleaded poverty. Ten thousand pounds had been offered to sir George Wakeman, the queen's physician, who demanded fifteen thousand, as a reward for so great a service his demand was complied with; and five thousand had been paid him by advance. Lest this means should fail, four Irish ruffians had been hired by the Je-jected by that religious order in all the three suits at the rate of twenty guineas a-piece, kingdoms. There were twenty thousand cato stab the king at Windsor; and Cole- tholics in London, who would rise in four andman, secretary to the late dutchess of York, twenty hours, or less; and Jennison, a Jesuit, had given the messenger, who carried then said, that they might easily cut the throats of a orders, a guinea to quicken his diligence. hundred thousand protestants. Eight thousand Grove and Pickering were also employed to catholics had agreed to take arms in Scotland. shoot the king with silver bullets: the former Ormond was to be murdered by four Jesuits; was to receive the sum of fifteen hundred a general massacre of the Irish protestants was pounds; the latter, being a pious man, was to concerted; and forty thousand black bills were be rewarded with thirty thousand masses, already provided for that purpose. Coleman which, estimating masses at a shilling a-piece, bad remitted two hundred thousand pounds to amounted to a like value. Pickering would promote the rebellion in Ireland; and the have executed his purpose, had not the flint at French king was to land a great army in that one time dropped out of his pistol, at another island. Poole, who wrote the Synopsis, was time the priming. Coniers, the Jesuit, had particularly marked out for assassination; as bought a knife at the price of ten shillings, was also Dr. Stillingfleet, a controversial writer which he thought was not dear, considering the against the papists. Burnet tells us, that Oates purpose for which he intended it, to wit, stab-paid him the same compliment. After all this bing the king. Letters of subscription were | circulated among the catholics all over England to raise a sum for the same purpose. No less than fifty Jesuits had met in May last at the White-horse tavern, where it was unanimously agreed to put the king to death. This synod did afterwards, for more convenience, divide themselves into many lesser cabals or companies; and Oates was employed to carry notes and letters from one to another, all tending to the same end, of murdering the king. He even carried, from one company to another, a paper, in which they formally expressed their resolution of executing that deed; and it was regularly subscribed by all of them. A wager of a hundred pounds was laid, and stakes made, that the king should eat no more Christmas pyes. In short, it was determined, to use the expression of a Jesuit, that if he would not become R. C. (Roman Catholic) he should no longer be C. R. (Charles Rex). The great fire of London had been the work of the Jesuits, who had employed eighty or eighty-six persons for that purpose, and had expended seven bundred fire-balls; but they had a good return for their money, for they had been able to pilfer goods from the fire to the value of fourteen thousand pounds: the Jesuits had also raised another fire on St. Margaret's Hill, whence they had stolen goods to the value of two thousand pounds: another at Southwark and it was determined in like manner to burn all the chief cities in England. A paper model was already framed for the firing of London; the stations were regularly marked out, where the several fires were to commence; and the whole plan of operations was so concerted, that precautions were taken by the Jesuits to vary their measures, according to the variation of the

VOL. IV.

:

havoc, the crown was to be offered to the duke, but on the following conditions; that he receive it as a gift from the pope; that he confirm all the papal commissions for offices and employments; that he ratify all past transactions, by pardoning the incendiaries, and the murderers of his brother and of the people; and that he consent to the utter extirpation of the protestant religion. If he refuse these conditions, he himself was immediately to be poisoned or assassinated, 'To pot James must go;' according to the expression ascribed by Oates to the Jesuits.-Oates, the informer of this dreadful plot, was himself the most infamous of mankind. He was the son of an anabaptist preacher, chaplain to colonel Pride; but having taken orders in the church, he had been settled in a small living by the duke of Norfolk. He had been indicted for perjury; and by some means had escaped. He was afterwards a chaplain on board the fleet; whence he had been dismissed on complaint of some unnatural practices, not fit to be named. He then became a convert to the catholics; but he afterwards boasted, that his conversion was a mere pretence, in order to get into their secrets and to betray them. He was sent over to the Jesuits' college at St. Omer's, and though above thirty years of age, he there lived some time among the students. He was dispatched on an errand to Spain; and thence returned to St. Omer's; where the Jesuits, heartily tired of their convert, at last dismissed him, from their seminary. It is likely, that, from resentment of this usage, as well as from want and indigence, he was induced, in combination with Tongue, to contrive that plot, of which he accused the catholics.-This abandoned man, when examined before the council, betrayed his

3 T

[ocr errors]

Mo

impostures in such a manner, as would have of his own soul, and the conversion of our poor utterly discredited the most consistent story, kingdom. In other passages the interests of and the most reputable evidence. While in the crown of England, those of the French Spain, he had been carried, he said, to don king, and those of the catholic religion, are John, who promised great assistance to the ex- spoken of as inseparable. The duke is also ecution of the catholic designs. The king said to have connected his interests unalteraasked him, what sort of a man don John was: bly with those of Lewis. The king himself, he he answered, a tall lean man; directly con- affirms, is always inclined to favour the cathotrary to truth, as the king well knew. Helics, when he may do it without hazard. totally mistook the situation of the Jesuits' ney,' Coleman adds, cannot fail of persuadcollege at Paris. Though he pretended great ing the king to any thing. There is nothing intimacies with Coleman, he knew him not, it cannot make him do, were it ever so much when placed very near him; and had no other to his prejudice, It has such an absolute excuse than that his sight was bad in candle- power over him, that he cannot resist it. light. He fell into like mistakes with regard Logic, built upon money, has in our court to Wakeman.-Notwithstanding these objec- more powerful charms than any other sort of tions, great attention was paid to Oates's evi-' argument. For these reasons, he proposed dence, and the plot became very soon the to father la Chaise, that the French king should subject of conversation, and even the object of remit the sum of 300,000l. on condition that terror to the people. The violent animosity, the parliament be dissolved; a measure to which had been excited against the catholics which, he affirmed, the king was, of himself, in general, made the public swallow the grossest sufficiently inclined, were it not for his hopes absurdities when they accompanied an ac- of obtaining money from that assembly. The cusation of those religionists: and the more parliament, he said, had already constrained diabolical any contrivance appeared, the better the king to make peace with Holland, conit suited the tremendous idea entertained of a trary to the interests of the catholic religion, Jesuit. Danby likewise, who stood in opposition of his most christian majesty: and if they to the French and catholic interest at court, should meet again, they would surely engage was willing to encourage every story, which him farther, even to the making of war against might serve to discredit that party. By his France. It appears also from the same letsuggestion, when a warrant was signed for ar- ters, that the assembling of the parliament so resting Coleman, there was inserted a clause late as April in the year 1675, had been profor seizing his papers; a circumstance at- cured by the intrigues of the catholic and tended with the most important consequences. French party, who thereby intended to show Coleman partly on his own account, partly by the Dutch and their confederates, that they orders from the duke, had been engaged in a could expect no assistance from England.— correspondence with father la Chaise, with the When the contents of these letters were pubpope's nuncio at Brussels, and with other ca- licly known, they diffused the panic, with tholics abroad; and being himself a fiery zealot, which the nation began already to be seized busy and sanguine, the expressions in his let- on account of the popish plot. Men reasoned ters often betrayed great violence and indis- more from their fears and their passions than cretion. His correspondence, during the years from the evidence before them. It is certain, 1674, 1675, and part of 1676,* was seized, that the restless and enterprising spirit of the and contained many extraordinary passages. catholic church, particularly of the Jesuits, In particular he said to la Chaise, We have merits attention, and is, in some degree, danhere a mighty work upon our hands, no less gerous to every other communion. Such zeal than the conversion of three kingdoms, and of proselytism actuates that sect, that its misby that perhaps the utter subduing of a pes- sionaries have penetrated into every nation of tilent heresy, which has a long time domi- the globe; and, in one sense, there is a POPISH 'neered over a great part of this northern PLOT perpetually carrying on against all states, 'world. There were never such hopes of protestant, pagan, and mahometan. It is success, since the days of queen Mary, as likewise very probable, that the conversion of now in our days. God has given us a prince,' the duke, and the favour of the king, had inmeaning the duke, who is become (may I spired the catholic priests with new hopes of say a miracle) zealous of being the author recovering in these islands their lost dominion, and instrument of so glorious a work; but and gave fresh vigour to that intemperate zeal the opposition we are sure to meet with is by which they are commonly actuated.-Their also like to be great so that it imports us to first aim was to obtain a toleration; and such " get all the aid and assistance we can.' In ano- was the evidence, they believed, of their theother letter he said, I can scarce believe my logical tenets, that, could they but procure 'self awake, or the thing real, when I think of entire liberty, they must infallibly in time open a prince in such an age as we live in, con- the eyes of the people. After they had converted to such a degree of zeal and piety, as verted considerable numbers, they might be not to regard any thing in the world in com- enabled, they hoped, to reinstate themselves 'parison of God's Almighty glory, the salvation in full authority, and entirely to suppress that heresy, with which the kingdom had so long been affected. Though these dangers to the

* See Appendix, No. viii.

[ocr errors]

belief. The panic spread itself on every side with infinite rapidity; and all men, astonished with fear, and animated with rage, saw in Godfrey's fate all the horrible designs ascribed to the catholics; and no farther doubt remained of Oates's veracity. The voice of the nation united against that hated sect; and, notwithstanding that the bloody conspiracy was supposed to be now detected, men could scarcely be persuaded that their lives were yet in safety. Each hour teemed with new rumours and surmises. Invasions from abroad, insurrections at home, even private murders and poisonings, were apprehended. To deny the reality of the plot, was to be an accomplice: to hesitate was criminal: Royalist, Republican; Churchman, Sectary; Courtier, Patriot; all parties concurred in the illusion. The city prepared for its defence, as if the enemy were at its gates: the chains and posts were put up: and it was a noted saying at that time of sir Thomas Player, the chamberlain, that, were it not for these precautions, all the citizens might rise next morning with their throats cut.

protestant religion were distant, it was justly the object of great concern to find that the heir of the crown was so blinded with bigotry, and so deeply engaged in foreign interest: and that the king himself had been prevailed on, from low interest, to hearken to his dangerous insinuations. Very bad consequences might ensue from such perverse habits and attachments: nor could the nation and parliament guard against them with too anxious a precaution. But that the Roman pontiff could hope to assume the sovereignty of these kingdoms; a project which, even during the darkness of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, would have appeared chimerical: that he should delegate this authority to the Jesuits; that order in the Romish Church, which was the most hated; that a massacre could be attempted of the protestants, who surpassed the catholics a hundred fold, and were invested with the whole authority of the state: that the king himself was to be assassinated, and even the duke, the only support of their party: these were such absurdities as no human testimony was sufficient to prove; much less the evidence-In order to propagate the popular frenzy, of one man, who was noted for infamy, and who could not keep himself every moment from falling into the grossest inconsistencies. Did such intelligence deserve even so much attention as to be refuted, it would appear, that Coleman's letters were sufficient alone to destroy all its credit. For how could so long a train of correspondence be carried on, by a man so much trusted by the party; and yet no traces of insurrections, if really intended, of fires, massacres, assassinations, invasions, be ever discovered in any single passage of these letters? But all such reflections, and many more, equally obvious, were vainly employed against that general prepossession with with which the nation was seized. Oates's plot and Coleman's were universally confounded together: and the evidence of the latter being unquestionable, the belief of the former, aided by the passions of hatred and of terror, took possession of the whole people.-There was danger, however, lest time might open the eyes of the public (17th Oct.); when the murder of Godfrey completed the general delusion, and rendered the prejudices of the nation absolutely incurable. This magistrate had been missing some days; and after much search, and many surmises, his body was found lying in a ditch at Primrose-hill: the marks of strangling were thought to appear about his neck, and some contusions on his breast: his own sword was sticking in the body; but as no considerable quantity of blood ensued on drawing it, it was concluded, that it had been thrust in after his death, and that he had not killed himself: he had rings on his fingers, and money in his pocket: it was therefore inferred, that he had not fallen into the hands of robbers. Without farther reasoning, the cry rose, that he had been assassinated by the papists, on account of his taking Oates's evidence. This clamour was quickly propagated, and met with universal

several artifices were employed. The dead
body of Godfrey was carried into the city, at-
tended by vast multitudes. It was publicly
exposed in the streets, and viewed by all ranks
of men; and every one, who saw it, went
away inflamed, as well by the mutual conta-
gion of sentiments, as by the dismal spectacle
itself. The funeral pomp was celebrated with
great parade. The corpse was conducted
through the chief streets of the city: seventy-
two clergymen marched before: above a thou-
sand persons of distinction followed after: and
at the funeral-sermon two able bodied divines
mounted the pulpit, and stood on each side of
the preacher, lest, in paying the last duties to
this unhappy magistrate, he should, before the
whole people, be murdered by the papists.
In this disposition of the nation, reason could
no more be heard than a whisper in the midst
of the most violent hurricane. Even at pre-
sent, Godfrey's murder can scarcely, upon any
system, be rationally accounted for. That he
was assassinated by the catholics seems utterly
improbable. These religionists could not be
engaged to commit that crime from policy, in
order to deter other magistrates from acting
against them. Godfrey's fate was no-wise ca-
pable of producing that effect, unless it were
publicly known that the catholics were his
inurderers: an opinion which, it was easy to
foresce, must prove the ruin of their party.
Besides, how many magistrates, during more
than a century, had acted in the most violent
manner against the catholics, without its being
ever suspected that any one had been cut off
by assassination? Such jealous times as the
present, were surely ill fitted for beginning
these dangerous experiments. Shall we there
fore say, that the catholics were pushed on,
not by policy, but by blind revenge against
Godfrey? But Godfrey had given them little
or no occasion of offence in taking Oates's

evidence. His part was merely an act of form, belonging to his office; nor could he, or any man in his station, possibly refuse it. In the rest of his conduct, he lived on good terms with the catholics, and was far from distinguishing himself by his severity against that sect. It is even certain, that he had contracted an intimacy with Coleman, and took care to inform his friend of the danger to which, by reason of Oates's evidence, he was at present exposed. There are some writers, who finding it impossible to account for Godfrey's murder by the machinations of the catholics, have recourse to the opposite supposition. They lay hold of that obvious presumption, that those commit the crime who reap advantage by it; and they affirm that it was Shaftesbury, and the heads of the popular party, who perpetrated that deed, in order to throw the odium of it on the papists. If this supposition be received, it must also be admitted, that the whole plot was the contrivance of those politicians; and that Oates acted altogether under their direction. But it appears that Oates, dreading probably the opposition of powerful enemies, had very anxiously acquitted the duke, Danby, Ormond, and all the ministry; persons who were certainly the most obnoxious to the popular leaders. Besides, the whole texture of the plot contains such low absurdity, that it is impossible to have been the invention of any man of sense or education. It is true, the more monstrous and horrible the conspiracy, the better was it fitted to terrify, and thence to convince, the populace: but this effect, we may safely say, no one could beforehand have expected; and a fool was in this case more likely to succeed than a wise man. Had Shaftesbury laid the plan of a popish conspiracy, he had probably rendered it inoderate, consistent, credible; and, on that very account, had never met with the prodigious success, with which Oates's tremendous fictions were attended.-We must, therefore, be contented to remain for ever ignorant of the actors in Godfrey's murder; and only pronounce in general, that that event, in all likelihood, had no connection, one way or other, with the popish plot. Any man, especially so active a magistrate as Godfrey, might, in such a city as London, have many enemies, of whom his friends and family had no suspicion. He was a melancholy man; and there is some reason, notwithstanding the pretended appearances to the contrary, to suspect that he fell by his own hands. The affair was never examined with tranquillity, or even with common sense, during the time; and it is impossible for us, at this distance, certainly to account for it. No one doubted but the papists had assassinated Godfrey; but still the particular actors were unknown. A proclamation was issued by the king, offering a pardon and a reward of five hundred pounds to any one who should discover them. As it was afterwards surmised, that the terror of a like assassination would prevent discovery, a new proclamation was issued, pro

mising absolute protection to any one who should reveal the secret. Thus were indemnity, money, and security, offered to the fairest bidder : and no one needed to fear, during the present fury of the people, that his evidence would undergo too severe a scrutiny. While the nation was in this ferment, the parliament was assembled."

SEVENTEENTH SESSION OF THE SECOND Par

LIAMENT.

The King's Speech on opening the Session.] Oct. 21. The parliament met, and his majesty opened the session with the following Speech to both houses:

66

My Lords and Gentlemen; I have thought the time very long since we parted last; and would not have deferred your meeting by so many prorogations, if I could well have met you sooner. The part which I have had this summer in the preservation of our neighbours, and the well-securing what was left of Flanders, is sufficiently known and acknowledged by all that are abroad: and though for this cause I have been obliged to keep up my troops (without which our neighbours had absolutely despaired); yet both the honour and interest of the nation have been so far improved by it, that I am confident no man here would repine at it, or think the money raised for their disbanding to have been ill employed in their continuance; and I do assure you, I am so much more out of purse for the service, that I do expect you should supply it.-How far it may be necessary (considering the present state of Christendom) to reduce the land and sea forces, or to what degree, is worthy of all our serious considerations.-I now intend to acquaint you (as I shall always do with any thing that concerns me), that I have been informed of a Design against my person by the Jesuits;* of which I shall forbear any opinion,

*. It may be proper briefly to repeat, that on Sept. 28, Titus Oates had given information, before the Council, of many discourses he bad heard among the Jesuits, of their design to kill the king, naming persons, places, and times almost without number; upon which many Jesuits were seized that night and the next day; and in particular, having accused Coleman, the Duke's Secretary, of a strict correspondence with Father le Chaise, the French king's Confessor, adding, that he was acquainted with all their designs,' Coleman was immediately apprehended, and from his letters, which were seized and examined, the story gained great confirmation. Add to this, that sir Edmundbury Godfrey, an eminent Justice of Peace, who had attested Oates's Depositions, was found, on Oct. 17, with his own sword thrust through his body, in a ditch near Primrosehill, in the way to Hampstead, having been missing ever since the 12th. And as it bad been taken for granted that Coleman's Papers confirmed every thing that Oates had sworn, so it was no sooner known that Godfrey was

« ForrigeFortsæt »