The narrative of Robert Jenison of Grays-Inn, Esquire containing I. a further discovery and confirmation of the late horrid and treasonable popish plot against His Majestie's person, government, and the Protestant religion, II. the names of the four ruffians, designed to have murthered the King, III. the reasons why this discovery hath been so long deferred, by the said Robert Jenison, IV. an order of His Majesty in Council touching the same ... : together with a preface introductory to the said narrative.

THE Publisher to the Reader, Serving As an Introduction to the ensuing Narrative.

THE Name of Robert Jenison, Esq (the Author of the Narrative ensuing) hath been formerly mentioned in many Prints, especially in that Narrative of his Depositions, and Informations annexed thereunto, Collected by Charles Chetwind, Esquire, and published by Order of His Majestie's most Honourable Privy Council, July 16. last past, 1679. Besides, the Gentleman is further notified by his appearance, as a Witness for the King, in the late Tryal of Sir George Wakeman, Corker, and the rest. Nevertheless, because his Name was then used by others, though with his own con∣sent, it is thought convenient in this Preface to the follow∣ing Narrative, to give a more particular Account of Him, and of his Family, to which he hath already been, and fur∣ther yet may be, so great an Honour; That so the unque∣stionableness of his Extraction may advance him above the common exceptions of Lowness and Plebeity, which inferiour Testimonies are subject to. Born he was of an Ancient Family, residing at Wallworth in the County Palatine of Dur∣ham: A place so considerable, that King James was pleased to Honour their Mansion-House (then in the possession of his Auncestors) with his Residence (and his Reti∣nues) for a Night, * 1.1 at his first coming into England. His Father, John Jenison, Esquire, yet living in the same House, is a Gentleman of a fair Estate, and of an unblemished Reputation, save what may be thought to reflect upon him for his former adherence to the Romish Religion. His Elder Brother, Mr. Thomas Jeni∣son, now a Prisoner in Newgate on the account of the Plot,

having taken Orders in the Church of Rome, and in one of their most obnoxious Sodalities, That of the Jesuits, hath thereby rendred himself, according to the known Laws of England, uncapable to inherit: And thus, Divine Provi∣dence so Ordering it, he hath opened a Door to this Gentle∣man to the Inheritance of a fair paternal Estate, of several Hundreds by the Year; Which Consideration notwithstand∣ing hath been so far from cancelling in him the natural Obligations to Brotherly Friendship, or to influence him in the least towards the making this Discovery; That in his Addresses to His Majestie on this Occasion, he hath, not with∣out success, interceded for the Indempnity of his Brother, and of others of his Relations, as well as for his Own, as by the Order of Council inserted into this ensuing Narrative may appear. The Education of the aforesaid Mr. Robert Jenison of late years hath been in the Honourable Society of Grays-Inn, where his Pains have been commendably bestowed in the study of the Law, and his Repute untainted amongst the Prime Gentlemen, and all others; of that House. But his Youthful institution he received at Doway in Flanders, in the strict Principles of the Papal Religion, and in the English College of Secular Priests there, where, to give that Order of Seculars their due, I never heard him affirm, That he imbibed any Principles either of Immorality in point of Con∣versation, or of Treasonableness in point of Loyalty, from their Information; Those Lessons being taught in the Schools of the Jesuits, who afterwards did labour to infuse some of them into him. The Seculars value themselves much on the accompt of their obedience to, or patient suffering under those Princes and Rulers (of a Contrary Religion to them) in whose Dominions they reside. Hence it is that formerly they persuaded those here in England of their own Sect and Profession to quiet subjection, fealty, and allegiance, in the days of Q. Elizabeth, contrary to the Principles, and Practices of the Jesuits, betwixt whom, ever since their first Institution, and the said Seculars, there hath always interceded an irre∣concileable Pique: The former being, as an Episcopal Pro∣testant hath lately character'd them, * 1.2 The most active and Pragmatical Undertakers in all Christendom. But alas, This Censure is but

a light Velitation, if compar'd with that black charge of guilt, which the Body of Seculars make against That Order and Society: He that reads the Quodlibets of William Watson, a Secular Priest, published in the Year 1602, will easily con∣fess, That no Protestant Pen can decipher Jesuits in more dark and bloody Colours, than he hath done: For besides, the liberal Epithites he intersperseth in his Book, calling them, Mountebanks, Usurpers, False-hearted, Seditious, Impudent, Erro∣nious, Turbulent, Malicious, &c. In his 5th Quodlibet, Art. 8. pa. 149. he hath these words, speaking of them, It is not unknown to all the Christian World, (as I verily think) That in Rome, in Spain, in Flanders, and every where, but especially here in England, Scotland, and Ireland, They labour to stir up all men under colour of Religion, and Zealous Desire in them, of our Country's Conversion against our Soveraign, the present State, &c. But more fully, in Quodlibet 3. Art. 3. p. 61, 62. he bestows his Favours on them, in these Expressions; They run now such a desperate Course, as if Religion were but a meer Political and Atheal Device, &c. taught by their Arch-Rabbies, how to maintain with Equivocations, Dissimulation, Detraction, Ambition, Sedition, Contention, Surfetting, sorer than ever did Heliogabalus (with his many hundred varieties of Services ser∣ved in at every Banquet or Feast-Royal at his Table) in setting Division, breeding of Jealousie, and making of hostile Strife by op∣position of King against King, State against State, Priest against Priest, Peer against Peer, Parent against Children, &c. raising of Rebellions, MURDERING OF PRINCES, &c. Are these Men then to be called Religious? &c. No, no, Their Course of life doth shew what their Study is; and that, howsoever they boast of their Perfections, Holiness, Meditations, and Exercises, yet their Platform is Heathenish, Tyrannical, Satanical, and able to set Aretine, Lucian, Machiavel, yea, and Don Lucifer in a sort to School, as impossible for him by all the Art he hath to besot men, as they do. Thus He. And though the same Watson, notwithstanding his Zealous Professions of Subjection to Temporal Princes, was afterwards put to death for Treason∣able Practices against King James, whereby he might seem to stain the Credit of his own Doctrine formerly delivered; yet our Historians say, That he was out-witted therein too by the Jesuits, out of a Vindictiveness of spirit against him,

for his plain demonstration of their odious Practises men∣tioned in the asoresaid Book.

Hear what John Speed saith in his Chronicle, in King James, p. 1223. Watson having at large laid open, in Print, the Treachery, and Unsufferable Machinations of the Jesuitical Order, left this suspicion on them at his death, that They, in revenge, had covertly and cunningly drawn him into this Action, which brought him to this shameful End.

'Tis true, The great Favourers of Ignatius and his Fol∣lowers, do look upon their Sect, as a Ne∣cessary, * 1.3 and Seasonable Supply to the Roman Church, in regard it was instituted not many Years after the Assaults made against it, by Luther, * 1.4 Melancthon, and their Partners.

Yea, Saunders in his Book De Schismate Anglicano, drives the Observation a little further, remarking it, as a spe∣cial Providence, that the Order of Jesuits began to appear in the World, when all other Religious Orders of the Roman Communion were suppressed in England by King Henry the Eighth, Anno Dom. 1538. Nevertheless, some Grave and Sober Persons, even of the Roman Church, do, not without cause, suspect, that Their heady and rash Activity may in time contribute to the overthrow of that Religion, which They would seem strenuously to maintain; And we do rea∣sonably hope, that the violent Humour of that sort of men may prove like the over-officious Duty of that Servant, who pretending to lift his Master up to Horse, threw him over on the other side.

But to return to Mr. Jenison: He, as I have said, being Educated in the Principles of the Romish Religion, continued constant in his adhesion thereunto; till about the Month of January last past. The chief occasion of his Conversion, was. The Confident Asseveration of Mr. Ireland, (who was his Kinsman) both at his Tryal and Execution, concerning

his being in Staffordshire at the same time, when he knew him to be in London, and discoursed him there; upon which, he entertained such Thoughts in himself, That a Religion allowing such Palpable Untruths, in the very Article of Death, must needs be ill-grounded, besides the Counte∣nance and Encouragement it gave to the Slaughter and Assassination of Princes; in order to which, he had been tamper'd with by the Jesuitical Party. These things did first shake his Stedfastness in that Profession, before ever he had Will or Inclination to read any Protestant Books; though since he hath been further confirmed in the truth of the Reformed Religion, by perusing some Writers, espe∣cially the Bishop of Lincoln's Book, Entituled, Popery, or the Principles and Positions, approved by the Church of Rome, (where really believed and practised) are very dangerous to all, &c. Wherein he doth evidently prove those Doctrines to be maintained by the Church of Rome, which Mr. Jenison supposed to have been injuriously charged upon It before. Yet when he was in the Communion of the Roman Church, he had alwayes a secret Aversion to those King-Killing Maxims, which his Cousin Ireland and other Jesuits would have instilled into him. Hence it was, that they commu∣nicated their Principles and Purposes to him, but gradually and guttatim, allowing him time to ruminate upon, and digest One Principle, before they attempted to infuse an∣other. And the Consideration of those Principles, and his Conviction of the Evils of Them, hath proved, by God's Blessing, contrary to their expectation, a strong Induce∣ment to the Discovery of their Vile Machinations and Practices.

If any shall Object, That the matters contained here in this ensuing Narrative, are but Crambe his cocta, or a repe∣tition of what was discovered before; Let such know, That the Disclosing the Four Ruffians, who were designed to do so Black a Deed, is wholly due to Mr. Jenison's Infor∣mations mentioned herein: For though other Evidences have concurred in the number of Four, and in their Desig∣nation to that Bloody Fact; yet who they were, none hath nominated, but Himself: A Circumstance of that Mo∣ment,

that much of the Credibility of the whole Conspiracy doth depend thereupon. Besides, One and the same sub∣ject may be cultivated by several Pens, according to the diversities of Style and Method, and their respective Know∣ledges of different Occurrences relating to the same Argu∣ment; which Variety doth not weary, but refresh the Reader; nor detract from, but corroborate former Evi∣dences, especially His Majestie having declared his great Satisfaction which he received from this Testimony. And yet, This Theme is not so wholly drained, but that room is left, both for this Gentleman, and other Discoverers, to make their further Additions thereunto. And in the mean time, I question not, but the unprejudiced Reader will find his Expectation sufficiently answered in the Ensuing Narrative.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Baker's Chron. in King James.
• * 1.2

  Fuller's Ch. Hist. Book 6. p. 279.
• * 1.3

  Bussier. Floscul. Historiar. p. 386. 387. initii.
• * 1.4

  To ballance the Protestants, the Jesuits were set on foot, as one of our own confesseth. Fuller's Church History. Book 6. p. 279.