An account of the late horrid conspiracy to depose Their present Majesties, K. William and Q. Mary, to bring in the French and the late King James, and ruine the city of London ... also, some brief reflections on the trials of the Lord Preston, Major Ashton, and Mr. Elliot, who were chiefly concern'd therein, and found guilty / by a gentleman who was present at their trials.

THE PREFACE, TO All that love the Protestant Reli∣gion, King William and Queen Mary, and Old England.

I Need not tell you, Gentlemen, how many and how restless Endeavours have been used by the Enemies of our dear Country and dearer Reli∣gion, to destroy both ever since the Reformation. You cannot but remember with due regret and concern, what deep Designs have been frequently laid for this Purpose, within the reach of your own Observations,

(not to look back to King James the First, or Queen Elizabeth, of blessed and eternal memory.) Nor are you, I am confident, of so easie and implicit a Faith, as to be perswaded by all the popular Harangues in the World to contradict your own senses: And indeed, they only may inform us how much we have hitherto been the Care of Heaven, and what need there was of our being so, since we have taken so little of our selves, but with a sort of Stupidity, which looks like Incantation, for the most part sate tame and quiet, Expectants when the hanging Sword would drop on our Heads, which so slender a Thread as to out∣ward view only supported; though we ought to be∣lieve there was an Arm within the Clouds, which would not suffer it to wound any further than its Commission: For indeed, what else has hitherto preserved us under the two last and the present Reign? For whether the Throne has been filled by an open Papist, or a pretended Protestant, or one who is really such: One thing is certain, that Popery, with its infeparable Companion, has been all along strug∣gling to get uppermost, and like a true Politician, was indeed nearest the obtaining its desire, when it appea∣red farthest from it. The Popish Plot in King Charles's Reign, although it obtain not its imme∣diate Design, yet in the Effects thereof, went a great length towards our ruine, like Gunpowder in a Vault, doing incomparably the more mischief by being stifled. All know what an odd Branch was grafted upon it, and how unnatural a Fruit it bore; the Jugglers, who managed that Show, pretending to change Papist into Presbyterian: Just as effectual a Mi∣racle as their turning Bread into Flesh, while 'tis Bread still. However, this is more certain, That

they went on so fairly, as to Juggle one King ('tis more than probable) out of his Life, and the other out of his Throne; for indeed he was little better than spirited away by the Kidnapping Priests and Jesuites, the Merchandise of Rome being sometimes the Bodies, as well as the Souls of Men. And one would have thought a fair riddance there had been now made for good and all, the vacant Throne being filled by the Consent and Applauses of all goodmen, with two Protestant Princes, whose actions as well as words have declared them as true Defenders of the Faith, as of the undoubted Rights and Liber∣ties of their Kingdoms. But neither must these ex∣pect to sit in quiet, like the ancient Heroes, they seem born for Troubles, and made on purpose to wade through Danger and Honour. And were their Enemies and the Protestant Religion's (whose Life and very Being seems very much bound up in Theirs) but all before 'em; Were there no danger but from the Sword of France, or the late King's Valour, there would not be so much reason for our apprehen∣sion and concern. But when those inestimable Lives, as well as all our own, all that we have hazarded, whatever i•• dear to us, have paid for, conti∣nue to Pray, and are ready to fight for; when all this, and the Interest of all Europe, shall be still in as much danger as ever, from a sort of People, that Mercy is thrown away, and Pardon lost up∣on 'em; I cannot doubt, but we shall all be inspired with a just Iudignation against them: That the Law will be, now in earnest let loose upon them; and that we shall no longer by a foolish pity towards them, en∣danger our own utter Ruine.

Now as to what their Designs are, and have been for some time past, these Papers may give some sa∣tisfaction, till a larger account shall be thought fit to be made publick.