knowledge in schoole learning) was removed to Trinity Colledge near Dublin; where, in good litterature, he for the space of seven years remained: and, from thence, by the instigation of Dr. Smith, Dean of Limerick, was employed as a reader; which duty by me was faithfully performed, for the space of two years, being then only a deacon. From thence, by the death of the said Dr. Smith, removed I was to serve Dr. John Wilson's cure, sometime Fellow of St. Magdalene College in Oxford, who, as chaplain to his grace my Lord Duke of Ormond, came for Ireland, on which provision (though inconsiderable) admitted I was into full orders, by the late Bishop of Clogher, who was a man of that divine nature, that all that knew him had a loss of him: the very memory of whom may justly draw a fountain of water from mine eyes; his favour to me ward cannot easily be forgotten. Thus, in short, your grace has a description of my birth, education, life, and conversation; which leads me to expostulate my present sufferings. I am, and ever was, a faithfull son to the church of England. All discentors were ever odious in mine eyes, 'specially that damnable faction of Presbytery. If I could, as well as others, have winked at their irregular undertakings, poverty and bondage would not now have dominion over me. But my method was to reduce such factious persons to a regular understanding, and observe wherein, and how far, they have degenerated; although others gleanings, I confess, are better than my vintage, as I am the least of the tribe: yet, I cannot sit still, but, if occasion offered itself, would once more adventure to cast in my mite against such hæresy, as those gifted persons pretended to. But, knowing to whom I speak, I must not hold your grace too long to peruse this ignorant discourse, least I give offence. Lastly, to make an ingenious confession, your poor suppliant in the aforesaid cure, though insufficient if narrowly considered to maintain a family, continued without scandal and corruption, for the space of four years; but by the insufficiency thereof, being but eighteen pound per annum, was forced to borrow money, which summ, at the day prefixed, I could not disburss; whereupon they issued out writs against me but I considering fortune to be like the markett, where, if a man stay a little, the price will fall. Thus I thought it better to meet some danger half way, than to keep too long a watch upon my enemies approach: for, if a man watch too long, as my case stood, though he commit the beginnings thereof to Argos, with his hundred eyes; and the ends to Briareus, with his hundred hands, tis odds he will fall asleep so that I thought it my best way, for a time, to remove myself and family, to prevent future inconveniencies. Whereupon I, with a discontented heart, came for England; and, if your grace call to mind, made to you my application. Willing was I to take up with the least provision: but no vacancy in your grace's diocess, was the answer; and withal told me that my lord of London possibly might answer to my request. Whereupon I strait way attended my lord of London, but no satisfactory answer could I find there. On which, what to do I knew not; but the second time waited on your grace, and gave up my lord of London's answer; and withal told your grace, that willing I was to go for the West Indies. Your grace's answer was, that provisions there lay in my lord of London, but being destitute of money and friends, disinabled I was to get thither, unless I had sold myself for a bond-slave, which I was not willing to do. So that for Ireland I again repaired; but no sooner was I there settled, in a cure far remote from the other, but news my creditors had; for which, without my selary, glad was I to flee again in a distracted condition; and came, accompanied with my wife, to Oxford; where friendship I did endeavour to create, but all in vain. From thence went I towards Bristol, thinking to have made my address to the bishop of that diocesse, but supplanted I was by his death. So that myself I applied to the body of the clergy, but meet not with a satisfactory answer. My second application was to desire them to disburss money for our fraught; but, meeting not with my desired success, I came away, not knowing which way to turn myself; to go and steal, I would be hanged; to take by violence a purse, I would be in the same condition; to work, I knew not which way; to begg of the clergy (so many cheats going about) I knew, being a stranger, they would, though undeserved then, pass on me the same sentence. Thus friendless and moneyless, we came to Oxford, in a sad condition, and accidently meet with one Wright by surname; who, after some days acquentance, put me upon this hellish stratageme upon your grace, which forgery he committed, although I am not thereby excused. Truly a terrour to my conscience was it every hower, knowing such clandestine actions to be both against the laws of God and man. O fie! that ever it should be said that a clergyman have committed such durty actions. O! that my eyes were a fountain of water, to weep for remission, for pardon, for satisfaction, both to God and man. For sure I am the unjust shal be punished in the next world, if not in this. I acknowledge my crime to be great, the Lord give a right understanding of my errour; wherein I have offended both God and man: and what shal I do, or what shal I say to mitigate this crime? 'Tis true, I am heartily sorry, which perhaps, in your grace, may create mercy; but not pardon from my God, without a loathing and hearty detestation of such unlawfull ways of gain, and an absolution from a Bishop. Truely my intention, after the receipt of twenty pounds, was for the West Indias; no more did I desire than what would carry my family thither: but disappointed I was by the just judgement of the Almighty; all we received was spent to recover my wife's health; seaven weeks did she lye sick, which the justices here are not ignorant of; and what little stock we had was exhausted, so that we have neither friends nor money. Your poor suppliant therefore, in most humble manner, beseecheth, that your grace will be graciously pleased to regulate the hearts and minds of these justices, who have committed my poor sickly wife, as well as myself; and, by your grace's letter, to animate their hearts to charity, the sessions being Monday next. 'Tis true, I have in a most gross manner incurred your grace's displeasure, and does not diserve the least favour, 'specially at your grace's hands; for which, from the bottom of my heart, I humbly beg your grace's pardon, beseeching your grace in justice to remember mercy; and though your grace may cast a severe eye upon the example, yet I humbly beseech your grace, to cast a merciful eye upon the person, to whom this shal for ever be a warning-piece, and subscribes himself, Your Grace's most penitent ROBERT YOUNG. My reader finds that this first letter of Robert Young's to Archbishop Sancroft, which seems full of remorse and solemn detestation of his former wickedness, in forging his grace's name, was dated in prison at Bury, Sept. 30, 1684; but, to shew what kind of penitent he was, I will here subjoin the informations of divers persons at Bury in 1685, touching Robert Young's threatenings against the Archbishop of Canterbury's life, not long after he had written this first letter. Numb. V. Bury St. Edmonds, Mart. 27, 1685. MT EMORANDUM, That we whose names are underwritten, being in company with Robert Young, (who was laid in Bury gaol for counterfeiting his grace the Archbishop of Canterbury's hand and seal, &c.) he spoke these words immediately upon hearing of his late majesty's death, which was Saturday, February 7, 84. [Is the king dead? Then have at the Archbishop of Canterbury's head.] These words were spoken in his chamber in my hearing. Witness my hand, THOMAS BOUME. HE same day in the cellar, the said Robert Young declared, That, now the king was dead, he would have the Archbishop THE of Canterbury's head off. Witness our hands, JOHN PANNELL. his Mark. AND at other times, in my hearing, and others that are now out of town, the said Robert Young declared, that, if ever he got out of prison, he would revenge himself on his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury. JOHN PANNELL. AT another time, some two or three days before, the said Robert Young, upon hearing of his majesty's death, did in the hearing of me John Rewse, in the said Young's chamber, in Bury prison, say these words: [Some of my enemies may repent what they have done to me: it will not be long e're the Archbishop of Canterbury's head be off.] JOHN REWSE. VILLIAM ROSE, of Elmswel, in the county of Suffolk, yeoman, saith, that Robert Young, a prisoner in Bury gaol, upon hearing of his late majesty's death, did publickly say these words following, viz. Now, by God, have at the Archbishop of Canterbury's head. And that, at several times, he hath discovered himself to bear hatred against his grace, and hath often spoken reproachfully against his grace. WILLIAM ROSE. Sixthly, Here is Robert Young's second letter to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury; confessing still his own guilt, but intended. chiefly to weaken the evidence of John Pannell, one of those Bury witnesses, by accusing him of treason. Numb. VI. MAY IT PLEASE YOUR GRACE, IN Bury, July 23, 85. N the first place, all that I design in this letter, is an apology for myself, to ask pardon for my transgression against your grace (although deluded thereto) hoping, that this my mean and weak supplication will be sheltered under the canopy of your profound charity. And seeing I have, by wicked advice, consented to things misbecoming an honest man, most reverend father, let not my honesty be tainted therewith, but evil counsell justly blamed; which, for ever hereafter, shal be a warning-piece to me, never to commit the like again; but, by honest and christian endeavours, to provide for himself and family, whose conditions are now reduced so low, that perish they must, unless by your grace's clemency eased. Furthermore, I do promise to do your grace that justice, as to bring in the first actours and contrivers of that wicked action, who did not only encourage me, but several imposthims they likewise have sent abroad, which I can prove. Having thus far declared myself, and endeavoured to take off such aspersions as might possibly have been thrown on me; give me leave to *acquent your grace, that I am given to understand, that one John Pannel have lately sent your grace a petition, intreating you to incense the judge, that comes this circuit, against me; which petition I humbly desire, and beseech you, for your honour, to disregard. For that person is a rebellious traytor, and have declared himself so to be; his words and intended actions are, in breve, as followeth. He called the king a popish dog, a rogue, and said, that he has taken that which was none of his own, but the Duke of Monmouth's; he has said likewise, that he would do his endeavour to chop off that popish rogue's head. Si indixeris mihi ut singula dilatem, non recusabo; modo tempus mihi concesseris: nam statim hoc facere, non est harum, quoad corpus, virium: paratus semper dicere, qui sunt subditi probati & qui non. My lord, I thought fit thus to *acquent your grace, that you may not so much as mention his name with any due respect; his factious ancestors will make him notorious enough, if no treason were objected and laid to his charge. But, seeing what I have in part *acquented your grace with, will, next assizes, be sworn against him by there evidences, and the king likewise *acquented therewith; and the said John Pannell, a great finatick. I humbly have sent your grace (out of that love and affection I bear to my king and to the clergy) this caution of the said John Pannell. So I take leave, desiring to remain your grace's most humble servant, ROBERT YOUNG. Seventhly, Here is the true hand and seal of Archbishop Sancroft, which Robert Young having torn off from a real instrument of his grace's that he had casually lighted on, prefixed a false licence to it to beg in three other dioceses; and that dated even after the former letters to the archbishop, and after he had been pilloried at Bury for the first forgery. Numb. VII. WE E recommend the petitioner to the diocese of Oxford, Lincoln and Sarum, humbly beseeching the clergy of all cities and corporations (within the aforesaid dioceses) to go from house to house to receive the benevolence of all charitable christians, towards the relief of a poor distressed clergyman. Given under our hand and seal, at Lambeth-house, Jan. 2, Ann. Dom. 1685. LOCUS SIGILLI. W. CANT. Two papers relating to a false plot in King James's time, which Robert Young offered to discover at Bury, when he was prisoner there, in the year 1685. Both which papers are written with his own hand, and were taken out of his pocket when he was searched for instruments, wherewith he designed to break prison there. The first paper, which seems to be a letter to some lord at court, concerning Robert Young's plot in 1685, but is not superscribed. Numb. VIII. MAY IT PLEASE YOUR LORDSHIP, Bury-Goale, June 13, 85. AL LTHOUGH I have been, and also am unwilling to truble you with my letters, yet, notwithstanding, the treacherous speeches and intended actions of wicked rebels forceth me thereunto at present. I leatly a petition to the king and parliament sent, which petition (declaring in part the purport of what I have to say) I bumbly beseech your lordship, for the love of a gracious king, to take care of, and so far, that king and parliament may therewith be acquainted. Nothing is therein delivered, but what I, by sufficient evidence, can make appear to be truth: justice will in no wise for the king here be done; the reasons, when |