1685.

ed Favour, they must plead Guilty. But the Prifoners would not truft him, though it had, in a manner, been all one to them, for of the 30, 29 were found Guilty, and foon after executed; as were alfo 80 more out of 243, who were deluded to plead Guilty to their Indictments by a Promife of Pardon. The fame was done at Exeter to near as many, who were entrapt by the fame Decoy as alfo at Taunton and Wells, where -----ys finish'd his Bloody Affizes, and in which two Places, (in purfuance of a Letter from King James, intimating, That he was fain to be Chancellor hinfelf, and therefore bad him difpatch the Business before him) he condemn'd above 500 Perfons, whereof 239 were executed, and had their Quarters fet up in the principal Places, and Roads of thofe Countries. However Fys's Cruelty yielded often to the more prevailing Motives of his infatiable Avarice; and he was not more hafty to hang up those that had no Money, than he was Zealous to procure Indempnity to thofe that were Rich. Pardons now were juft as they are at Rome, not according to the Offence, but the Ability of the Perfon, from 10 Pounds to 14000 Guineas, which laft Sun this Judge of Iniquity did not fcruple to take from Mr. Sps, and with which he bought an Eftate, that may be juftly call'd, The Field of Blood. Even the Taunton Virgins, whofe only Crime was to have prefented the Duke of Monmouth with Colours, were oblig'd to pay fome 50, 40, 30, 20, and o thers 10 Pounds, for their Pardons; in thort, if a great many loft their Lives, 'twas becaufe few had Money enough to preferve them; and those poor Wretches, who could not purchase Pardons at Jeffreys's Rate, were fold for Slaves into the American Plantations. 'Tis faid, that after this barbarous Expedition, Jeffreys, a Man of a Sarcaftick Abufive Wit, was heard to boaft with a fort of brutish Pleafure, That he had Hang'd more Men than all the Judges of England fince William the Conqueror. A Boalt much like that of the Duke of Alva, whofe Revol Blood-thirstinefs feem'd to be transfus'd into him. d'Angle Some Roman Catholicks affirm that King James terre. Ꮳ

* Hift.de

1685. was no fooner inform'd of Jeffreys's Cruelties, but he fhew'd his Indignation at his unwarrantable

Proceedings; which however can hardly be reconThe Lord cil'd, with his making him foon after Lord ChanJeffreys celor, in Corfideration of the many Eminent and Faithmade Lord ful Services he had rendred the Crown, as well in the Chanceller, late King's Time, as fince His Majesties Acceffion to the Sept. 28. Crown.

'Tis true. Judge Jeffreys was not the only Perfon that executed the King's Orders; for Colonel Kirk, a Soldier of Fortune, and a Man of bold Spirit, but loofe Principles, did alfo act a confiderable Part in thefe horrid Tragedies. After the Duke's Defeat, he caus'd Ninety wounded Men at Taunton to be hang'd, not only without permitting their Relations to fpeak to them, but with Pipes playing, Drums beating, Trumpets founding, and all other Military Rejoicings. At another Town he invited his Officers to Dinner, near the Place where fome of the condemn'd Rebels were to be Executed, and ordered Ten of them to be turn'd off with a Health to the King, Ten in a Health to the Queen, and Ten more in a Health to Jeffreys. Thefe Cruelties he afterwards endeavour'd to palliate, by pretending he did nothing but by exprefs Order from the King and his General; But his decoying a fair Virgin to his Embraces, with the Promife of faving her Brother's Life, and nevertheless caufing him to be hang'd on the Sign of the Houfe where he had glutted his brutal Luft, and prefenting the credulous abus'd Daniel with the barbarous Spectacle, this, I fay, is fuch a piece of Treachery, as the Ro*fo Scipio. man General, man General, fo fam'd in Story for his Contineney, though a Heathen, would certainly have punith'd with immediate Death.

While things were thus carried on with a high Hand in the Weft, by Virtue of this Extraordinary Danger, Commition, they were not more moderate in the field try'd Adminiftration of ordinary Juftice in the Courts and fentenc'd, June of Westminster. Thomas Dangerfield in his Depofitions before the Parliament 1680, having reveal'd the 28th 1685. that he was employ'd by the Popish Party, and chiefly by the Lords in the Tower, and the Coun

tefe

1685.

tels of Powis, to kill the King, and was promis'd Impunity and a Reward, part of which he had receiv'd of the Duke of York; was now profecuted and try'd in Westminster-Hall, upon a Scandalum Magnatum, and as Juries went, found Guilty, and receiv'd judgment at the King's Bench-Bar, that he fhould ftand twice in the Pillory, that he fhould be whipt from Aldgate to Newgate, and from Newgate to Tyburn; and that he fhould pay a Fine of 500 Pounds. In his Return from Tyburn towards Newgate, after his whipping, being in a Coach, he had Reproachful Words given him, and was run into the Eye with a Tuck at the end of a Cane, by one Robert Francis, a virulent Papift, of which with the Pain of his whipping, he died and killed, foon after; though it is ftill a Queflion whether he died of the Wound, or by the feverity of his Punishment. However, Francis was juftly executed for it, the Court thinking it would appear too plain a Partiality to pardon fo foul an Act. The Difcovery that Dangerfield made, was that which was then call'd the Meal-Tub-Plot, which was to. have thrown the Popish Plot upon the Presbyterians. His Narrative was order'd to be printed by the Houfe of Commons on November 10th 1680, but notwithflanding that Order, their Speaker, Mr. Williams, was afterwards fin'd Ten Thousand Pounds for Licenfing it to be printed, but came off with paying 8000. The fame Term Dangerfield was try'd, Mr. Richard Baxter, a Worthy and Learned Divine among the Diffenters, was fined 500 Marks, and bound to his good Behaviour during Life, for Writing and Publishing fome Annotations on the New-Teftament, which were by the Papifts interpreted Seditious and Scandalous.

Towards the latter end of King Charles's Reign, one Keeling made a lame Difcovery of a Plot against the Government, only naming fome mean Perfons that were engag'd in the Defign, who being apprehended to fave their own Lives, they threw the whole Weight of the Confpiracy upon the Duke of Monmouth, the Earl of Effex, the Earl of Shaftsbury, the Lord Ruffel, Colonel Sid

C 2

Hey's

1685. ney, Sir Thomas Armstrong, Captain Walcot, Mr. Hambden, &c. This was call'd the Presbyterian of Proteftant Plot; which moft People look'd upon as the Contrivance of the Jefuits, in order to baffle the Popish Plot; and to crush the Ringleaders of that Party, who for feveral Years had fo warmly endeavour'd to prevent King James's Acceffion to the Throne. Many of thefe Confpirators had already been executed in King Charles's Reign, and the Court being now refolv'd to profecute the reft, the Eloquent Pen of Dr. Sp--t, (not long before made Bp of Rter) was induftrioutly fet to Work to Varnish over, and Palliate the Flaws of Keeling and the other Witneffes Depofitions. Accor dingly in the beginning of June he publish'd, A Dr.Sp--at's Account of the Horrid Confpiracy against the late the pretend- King, bis Prefent Majefty, and the Government; ed Presby- dorn'd with all thofe Flourishes of Oratory, which terian Plot. are fo far from perfuading, that they rather give Truth an Air of Fiction; but however, as Affairs were then managed, a Romance was as ft to ferv the Court as a true Hiftory.

Account of

Mr. Cor

cuted.

1

2.

In October, Mr. Cornish, an Eminent Traderc nith Exe London, was committed clofe Prifoner to Newga. and about a Week after try'd upon an Indictment i of High-Treafon, for having promis'd to be assisting to James late Duke of Monmouth, William Rufle Efq; &c. in their Treafons against Charles II. But the true Reafon of this Profecution was, that Mr. Cornish, when Sheriff of London, had been very Active against the Popish Confpirators, fo that now his Blood mult expiate his Zeal for the Proteftant Religion. The only Witness against this Worthy Citizen was Colonel Rumfey, a flagitious Evidence; for as to Goodenough, what he depos'd did not af fect him: However, Mr. Cornish was condemn'd and executed; much lamented by his Fellow-Citizens, as a Man unjustly facrificed.

Soon after the Execution of the Duke of Monmouth, George Speak, Francis Charleton, John Wild man, Efqs; Colonel Danvers, and John Trenchard, Efq; were fummon'd by Proclamation to appear, as being fufpected of fomenting and carrying on

*

Decem. the 30th.

Traiterous Defigns against the King; but they 1685. abfconded; however, the Earl of Stamford, the Lord Brandon Gerrard, andthe Lord Delamere, were taken and committed to the Tower. The Lord Brandon Gerrard was try'd at the King's Bench-Bar, Novemb. 26. for endeavouring to raife Rebellion, and Depofe Charles the Second, and being found Guilty, receiv'd Sentence of Death; but afterwards he found Means to procure his Pardon. Charles Bateman, a Chirurgeon, was try'd, condemn'd, and executed for the fame Treafon, which was thought a Branch of the Meal-Tub Plot. John Hambden, Efq; was arraign'd for the fame Meal-Tub Treason, and pleading Guilty, was immediately fentenc'd to Die, but afterwards pardon'd. The Lord Delamere be ing try'd by his Peers, (Chancellor Jeffreys being Lord High Steward,) upon an Indictment of HighTreafon, for Confpiring to raise a Rebellion against James the Second, was honourably acquitted; it manifeftly appearing, that Thomas Saxon, the principal Evidence againft His Lordship, was Guilty of Perjury, for which he fuffer'd condign Punishment. The Earl of Stamford, upon bringing his Habeas Corpus was admitted to Bail, and in the beginning of the Year 1686, he was pardon'd, and his Bail General discharg'd. About the beginning of March, when Pardon even over-ftrain'd Juftice could take Place no lon- March the ger, out came a Pardon, which was call'd General, 10th 1683. though the Number of the Perfons Excepted, far exceeded that of those who were Forgiven; and indeed that Amnefty was fo Abftrufe, fo Intricate, in a Word, fo ridiculously Merciful, that none had Benefit by it, but thofe that never offended.

King

James's

King James had now triumph'd over all his open Enemies, and would certainly have proved the happieft Prince that ever fway'd the English Scepter, if he had not cherish'd more dangerous Foes in his Bofom, Defign of and entertain'd the fond Defign of fetting up the Po- making pish Religion, as the firmeft Bafis for an Arbitrary Go- himself Abvernment. He was no fooner feated on the Throne, folute, and but his High-fpirited Bigotted Queen, his Father introducing Confeffor, and fome Ambitious Roman Catholicks Popery. about him, made it their Business to infinuate to