A brief history of the times, &c. ...

The Parallel of the Two Plots.

The Discoverer (he says) was a Chief Actor in This Plot, sent hither from Rome, by Cardinal Barbarini, to Assist Con the Popes Legat, in the Pursuit of it; and Privy to All the Particulars therein Dis∣covered.] Preface.

And was not Our Prime Disco∣verer, Otes, a Chief Actor too? Sent over from St Omers, to Assist the Plot; and about the Iesuits Affairs? Lord Staffords Tryal. fol. 28. Intrusted with Commissions? Iesuits Try∣al, fol. 13. Tempted to Kill the King? Narrative, Ar. 60. Dispatched with Proposals to the Carmelites about it? fol. 61. Order'd to Manage the Fire at the Hermi∣tage? 71. To carry the White-Horse Consult from Com∣pany to Company? fol. 18. And was not Our Disco∣verer,

Privy to Wakeman's Poyson, Conyers'es Dagger, Pickerings Screw'd-Gun, and the Silver Bullets: The History of the Black-Bills, the Pilgrims, Ruffians, and the Levies of Men and Mony? &c. Was not Otes pri∣vy to a matter of Eighteen Commissions, Military, and Civil: under the Hand of Ioannes Paulus De Oliva, by Vertue of a Brief from the Pope? (as he Swore before the Lord Chief Justice Scroggs) One of them to Iohn Lambert to be Adjutant-General to the Army; and Nine or Ten of them Deliver'd with his Own Hand? Was he not Privy, in fine, to the Price of the Whole Villany, to a Single Six-Pence? So that as to the mat∣ter of Privity; the Privity of Habernfeld, and his Principal, is quite Out-done, by the Privity of Tong, and Otes; who, according to their Narrative, and Pretensions were Vndoubtedly Privy, to Fifty times more then ever any Two men upon the face of the Earth were Privy to, before them.

The Discoverer (says the Preface again) was Troubled in Conscience, and Therefore Disclosed the Conspira∣cy; Renounc'd That Bloudy Church, and Religion; though Promised Greater Advancements for his Diligence in This Design. Ib.

And what was it but Horror of Con∣science too, (if we may believe Oaths, either Iudicial, or Extrajudicial) that made our Con∣verted Discoverers, whether Papists Bred-up, or Proselyted, to Disclose This Popish Treason, and to Renounce That Bloudy Religion, in Defiance of All Offers of Re∣wards, and Advancement? Was not Dugdale to have 500l. Lord Staffords Tryal. p. 43. And to be Sainted? Ib. 44. Was not Bedloe to have 4000l. in the Case of Godfrey? Greens Tryal. p. 30. And might not Otes, and all his Fellows, have come in for Their Snips to, if their Consciences would have Touch'd?

But This Plot was Discover'd under an Oath of Secrecy (says the Pre∣face) and the Discoverer Offer'd his Own Oath too, in Confirmation of the Particulars. Ib.

What was Bedloes Sacrament of the Altar. Twice a Week, to Conceal the Plot; (Greens Tryal. fol. 33.) but an Oath of Secrecy? Dugdale took at least Ten Sacra∣ments of Secrecy. Sr George Wakemans Tryal. p. 10. Otes, an Oath of Secresy, at Weld-House-Chappel. Irelands Tryal. p. 28. And then there was Another Oath of Secrecy taken at Fox-Hall too. And so for the Rest; Our Discoverers did not only Offer, but Deliver their Own Oaths, in Confirmation of Every Article.

Habernfeld Discovers, Persons, Pla∣ces, and Times of Meeting too. Ib.

And does not Otes Discover the Lords in the Tower; and such Others of the Nobility and Gentry, as are in the Conspiracy. See his Narrative from fol. 61. to the End. Their Priests, Iesuits, and Papists, of All Sorts? The Times, and Places of their Meetings, Even to the Year Week, Day, Nay, and sometimes to the very Hour? One while at the Savoy, Another while at the White-Horse, Russel-Street▪ Weld-Street, and the like.

Well! But Habernfeld's Principal Conspirators are [known to be Fit Instruments for such a Design. Ib.]

And are not Otes'es, as Fit Instru∣ments as Habernfelds? The Principals, are, most of them, Men of Quality, Brains, Interest, and Estate: and Consequently, bet∣ter Qualify'd then other People for the Execution of any Mischief they have a Mind to. Beside, that as 'tis

a Popish Plot, they are, not only to be All, Roman Catholiques: but All made Principals too; without lea∣ving so much as One Soul of them to Witness for Another. Now as there's no Means of Clearing them, on the One hand, saving by Palpable Blunders, and Contra∣dictions, on the Part of the Accusers; So if any of 'em will Swear to the Hanging-up of his Fellows, on the Other Hand, he is presently made Sacred, under the Character of a Kings Evidence; and [Touch not his Majesties Witness,] carries more Authority along with it, then [Touch not the Lords Anointed.]

The Preface says further; that [Sir W. Boswell, and the Arch-Bishop, if not the King Himself, were fully Satis∣fy'd, that the Plot was Reall. Ib.]

Men may be Satisfy'd in the Reality of a Thing, and yet Mistaken about it; As we have found many Men in Both Plots that have Seem'd to be Satisfy'd, and yet afterward abundantly Convinced that they were A∣bus'd. So that the Belief of a Thing does not Neces∣sarily Inferr the Truth of it; but it must be the Work of Time, and Scrutiny, to Perfect the Discovery. Neither do I find, Effectually, that there was so much Credit given to Habernfelds Plot, as is here Suggested. A [Nemine Contradicente,] is No Article of my Faith; Though it says, that [There Is, and Hath been, a Damnable and Hellish Plot, Contriv'd, and Carry'd on, by Popish Recusants, for Assassinating, and Mur∣dering the King; for Subverting the Government, and Rooting-out, and Destroying the Protestant Reli∣gion. Commons Iournal. Oct. 31. 1678.] Though I must Confess they had One Powerfull way of Convincing Men, by the Argument of Swearing them out of their Reputations, Lives, Liberties, and Fortunes, if they would Not Believe it.

The Parallel holds thus far Exactly, and we'le see now, how it Suites with the Minutes of Habernfelds Letter to the Arch-Bishop, which I have made as short as I can, for the Readers Ease, and for my Own.

The Minutes of Habernfelds Letter.

Beside Expectation, This Good Man (says Habernfeld (speaking of the First Discoverer) became Known unto me. p. 1.

By the same Providence it was, that Otes, Bedloe, Prance, and Twenty more of our Plot-Merchant-Adventurers came Acquainted. Bedloe Swore to the Lords that [he did not know Otes,] 'till it came out, by Providence, that [he knew him as Ambrose, but not as Otes?] And so, Otes, to requite his Kindness, [knew Williams, though he did not know Bedloe.] 'Twas such another Won∣derfull Providence, Bedloes knowing Prance over a Pot of Ale, at Heaven, after he had Enquired, and been Told, which was Prance, in the Commons-Lobby. [Damme (says Bedloe) That's one of the Rogues that Murder'd Sr Edmundbury Godfrey.]

As to the [Scottish Stirs,] he speaks of. p. 1.

Otes'es Missionaries Answer Habern∣felds Scotch Lords; of whom hereafter.

[The Factions of the Iesuits thorough England and Scotland, p. 2.] and the Discoverers Descant; we have in Dr. Beale's Readings to Tong upon them.

Otes'es Narrative ••its the [Adja∣cent Writing there spoken of. Ib.]

[Habernfeld got Free Liberty to Treat. Ib.] And so did Tong.

There must be [No Delay,] says Habernfeld. Ib.

Make Otes'es Enformation a Record, Immediately, says Tong; And so away goes the One, to Sr William Boswell, Ib. & the Other to Sr Edmund-bury Godfrey.

And now forward. As Some Princi∣pal Heads (in Habernfeld's Relation) were purposely Pretermitted. p. 3.

So Bedloe shorten'd his Evidence a∣gainst Whitebread, and Fenwick, in the Iesuits Tryal, and Swore Further▪ after he had Sworn All, Before: And so did Otes and the rest, [Purposely Pretermit] many things, and keep themselves upon the Reserve.

Habernfeld Propounds the Intercepting of a Pacquet at Bruxelles.

Our Iesuits Five Letters to be Inter∣cepted at the Post-House at Windsor. p. 3. are the very same Project.

Habernfeld's Letters are [Characteri∣stically Written. Ib.]

And so are the Letters in Tong's Plot-Hand.

Reade is to Vncypher them. p. 4.

As Otes Vncyphers Forty Eight, Sixty Six, Ciocolatti, Mum, and Mustard-Balls; as Reade is to do the Same Office for Habern∣feld, (P. 4.) Or if it falls out, that Reade, upon the Question, will rather Hang then Discover more then he Knows; 'tis but Allowing him Thirty Thou∣sand Masses for the Health of his Soul, and All's well again.

The Searching of Reades House for a Congregation, Ibid, was so much Out-done by Our Discoverers, that for Habernfelds One Reade, and One Congregation, they have shew'd us Forty.

Habernfeld takes Great Care, for fear of trusting Popish Pursuivants. Ib.

For which Reason, the Searching of our Houses, for Priests, and Popish Trin∣kets, was Committed to Otes, Bedloe, Dangerfield, &c. instead of Constables and Ordinary Messengers.

Habernfield Advises the Abolishing of All Bitterness of mind, that the Intestine Enemy may be Invaded on Both Parts. p. 4.

Which Tongs Friends in the Westmin∣ster Parliament, Translated into the Vni∣ting of Protestants against the Common Enemy.

We shall come now to [the General Overture and Discovery of the Plot:] Bearing date, Hague, Sept. 6. 1640. sent with Sir W. Boswells First Letter. p. 6. and see how the Counterpart Answers it, Head by Head, as it lies.

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