An exact and true narrative of the late popish intrigue, to form a plot, and then to cast the guilt and odium thereof upon the Protestants ... faithfully collected by Col. Roderick Mansell.

A Solemn ADDRESS TO All true ENGLISH PROTESTANTS, BY Col. RODERICK MANSELL.

Most Honoured, and Worthy Gentlemen,

WHat accursed Designs have formerly been set on foot to undermine, and blow up the Religion, that is, The true interest of England, your own Concerns therein have made you too apprehensive to need a Remembrancer; and that your Enemies are no Change∣lings, but as unwearied as pregnant (and, thanks be to God, as unsuccessful) in their malicious Contrivances as ever; had you no Friends, they themselves will do you that one and only friendly Office, to become your faithful Monitors.

Some have observ'd, that Quick-silver, the Devil, and a Jesuite can as∣sume a thousand various shapes, and yet under all those Disguises, Mercury, will be Mercury; the Devil, a Devil; and a Jesuite, a Jesuite; when he ceases to Be, he may cease to be mischievous; and when he puts off his Essence, may possibly put off his pragmaticalness.

In all their other Plots, they have out-done the World; in this last tryal of their skill, they have out-done (and we hope undone) themselves; for 'tis a Question, (and must remain so, for any solution of mine) whether their Ma∣lice in contriving; their Activity in pursuing; their Impudence in deny∣ing; their Fruitless Attempts for corrupting the Evidence; or this their last Essay, to devolve the Odium, of their execrable Treason against the King and Kingdom, upon the Protestants, have been more (though all have been beyond example) Devillish.

I acknowledge this is no modern Artifice, nor the Invention of junior Heads, their Ancestors have travelled in the same Argument, wrought in the same Mine; for when they had formed the Powder-Plot, they consulted to lay the Bastard at the Puritans Door; and what they had the pleasure to beget, o∣thers must have the reproach to Father; though the Deformed Brat, to all dis∣cerning eyes, would apparently own its Sire.

Now although in laying the ground-work of their late Project, they had a confused Idea, or rude draught of that Ancient Policy, yet could they not lick that unformed lump into a perfect shape, till time had ripened and sharpened their Inventions. Mr. Dugdale, in his Evidence against Mr. Whitebread, and his Accomplices, (pag. 25.) swears, That a Letter came from Paris, through Mr. Harcourt's hands into the Country, to prove, That it was the Opinion of them at Paris and St. Omers, to fling all this upon the Presby∣terians, that is, The death of the King, that if any thing of this nature should happen, they should be ready to give the first Allarm, and give it out that it

was the Still-King-killing Presbyterians that had done the Fact, and so they thought they should bring the Protestants into their company, to revenge themselves of the Presbyterians; to which the Lord Chief Justice replyed, It was pretty Advice indeed, to have it first laid on the Presbyterians, that they might get the Episcopal to joyn and cut their Throats, and then their own Throats should be cut.

But because it was impossible, and therefore incredible, that ever Protestants should so grosly mistake their Interest, as to conspire the destruction of their King, who is the Center and Head of it; they had been long preparing the People to entertain the belief of it, against that happy juncture of time, which should invite them openly to assert it; for these Theologico-Political Quacks, knew well that so great a Dose of Improbabilities would work too rigidly upon the Body Politick, without due Preparatives to mittigate its surly Operation; and therefore, some good while before, they had been slily insinuating into the credulous Brains of those whom either simplicity, or a bad Interest, had made capable of such Impressions, That the Presbyterians were a dangerous Gene∣ration of men; that their Principles and Practices were inconsistent with Government, but carried a specifick malignity against Monarchy; that they were certainly a brewing some desperate mischief, which a little time would discover; (and they could have told us the time to an hour.) That whoe∣ver were tolerated, the Presbyterians were intolerable! and still with great Zeal they reminded us of forty one, that we might not dream of seventy nine.

Marchemont Needham, in his Scurrulous Advice to the men of Shafts∣bury; the Author of the Countermine; and R. L'Estrange, in their Poli∣tick Burlesques, always bore hard and down-right upon the Presbyterians, but what is more remarkable, a day or two before the attempt to fasten this ima∣ginary Treason upon my self, the World was saluted with a Pamphlet, under the name of Tom. the Joyner, wherein we are gravely advised to come out from amongst them (the Presbyterians) and not to partake of their Sins, lest we received of their Plagues, which God had prepared for them; for they were conscious to themselves what Plagues they had prepared for them; and 'tis but the priviledge of their great Familiarity with God to make him es∣pouse their Quarrels, and employ his Thunder according to the direction of the Consult; but he goes on, That we should not fear their Power, it would be but a Summers Storm; but e're long (within two days, if Mr. Dangerfield's Flint was but well fixed) their turn of suffering would come about; for God would make their Hearts to melt, and their Loyns to tremble; and for his part, he could be content his life were given in Sacrifice, that the King and his good Subjects might be preserved from the most Damnable Ha∣vock John Presbyter design'd to make amongst us; but was it not easie to tell the World what the Presbyterians would do, when the Papists had form'd for them a piece of Villany, which they must do, whether they would, whether they knew it or no? The Devil can certainly prognosticate those Plagues, which he has Commission or Permission to execute; and the Pope is not more in∣fallible in his Determinations de fide, than John Gadbury in his Pre∣dictions de facto, when he's a part of the Confederacy, and privy to the In∣trigue.

Yet though these Pamphlets (which were only the Title-Page to the Plot) suggested danger only from the Presbyterians, Providence having unsealed and opened the Book it self, we read there that the main Body of the Prote∣stants

were to be involv'd in the design: They had preferred the Right Honou∣rable the Earls of Essex, and Radnor, the Lord Hallifax, all Members of His Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council, to be Counsellours in this their feigned Rebellion; nay they had introduced the Lord Wharton, and re-introduced his Grace the Duke of Bucks, and the right honourable the Earl of Shaftsbury into the Plot; they had Commissioned the Lord Gray, the Lord Gerrard and his Son, and Sir Thomas Armstrong, to be Lieutenant Generals; but above all, his Grace the Duke of Monmouth was most beholden to them, whom, to compensate the loss of his General-ship over an Army of real men on Earth, they had now created Generalissimo over an aiery Army of their own listing, mu∣stered in the Clouds; and that they might not seem ridiculously contradictory to themselves, to pretend a Presbyterian Plot, without one Presbyterian in it, they had graciously given a Commission for Major-General to Sir William Waller, and sprinkled here and there a Dissenter, like a Train to the Trap, and so from the less part, and almost no part, had denominated (by Jesuits Logick) the whole to be Presbyterian, which gave occasion to an ingenious Clergy-man to say, That Mr. Dangerfield had made more Presbyterians in a day, than they withal their Conventicles and preaching could make in twenty years.

It is a stated Maxime, That Interest will not lye: No man in his wits would cut down that Bough of the Tree upon which he stands; nor shear asun∣der that single Cord upon which he hangs. How then is it credible that Pro∣testants should conspire to take away that life by which they live? Can they be so vain as to promise themselves fairer Quarter under any Successor whom the Laws favour, than under the Auspices of his Majesty? When the com∣bined fates of both are so interwoven, that they must weep and laugh, live and dye together: but the Papists have drawn a Protestants face by a Jesu∣ites heart, and whatever of Devillism they find in their own breasts, fancy it to be lodged in other mens brains.

I cannot but admire too, at the imprudence of some, who seem to be Pro∣testants (and of those some, some are, I hope, really such) that understand their own Interest no better, than to joyn with the Papists, if not directly in their Counsels, yet obliquely in their Actions, to ruine any who are firm to an English Interest; pleasing themselves that they shall deliver up Dissenters to the Romish Polyphemus, when their only priviledge must prove to become the last (if the last) Morsel. Nor could I ever yet discern the Truth or Ju∣stice of that Charge, which loud Clamour has drawn up against those who bear the name of Presbyterians; that they are Enemies to Monarchy. I have read that about threescore of them have openly protested against the Tryal and Execution of the late King, when some others were then silent, who are most clamorous: That they refused the Engagement whereby the Royal Family was renounced, when yet others swallowed it; that many of them were se∣questred for their Loyalty, when some others enjoyed considerable Benefices: That some of them were Imprisoned, Executed, for adhereing to his present Majesty's Interest, when others declined it; and that a considerable Army of that Perswasion asserted his Majesty's Right with their Swords and Lives in their hands, when of the numerous Zealous Royalists scarce three hundred in the three Kingdoms appeared to joyn them: How forward they were with the formost, and actively instrumental in the restoration of His Majesty to his Crown and Throne, the World remembers, and his Majesty has not forgotten; and how they have ever since demeaned themselves without any spot of Dis∣loyalty

that could justly be fixt upon them, is so well known, that their Ene∣mies can sooner envy it, than deny it: Nor can I perceive that they have repented of their Loyalty, though some have order'd matters so to tempt them to it. They have fallen under the severities of the penal Laws, even those made against Papists, and yet haue suffer'd with as much chearfulness, as I be∣lieve 'twas possible for flesh and blood to do: And that they should be brought under a suspicion of hatching Treasonable designes, had been utterly unaccounta∣ble, but that the Discovery of this late horrid Contrivance has convinced me, that the Master-piece of Papal policy lies here, To forge a false Plot against them, that they might conceal a real one of their own; and then to per∣swade the credulous world, that the Protestants had forged an Imaginary Plot for the Papists, last year, that they might hide that which they had designed to execute this present year.

In which hellish Intrigue though I cannot tell whether there was a greater Mixture of Policy, or folly; yet this is evident, there was a great Mixture of both, of which, with your Patience (Gentlemen) I will now give you some short Account, that you may have a through light into this work of dark∣ness.

I. The Policy of the Papists in contriving this present horrid Plot.

1. The Papists finding the Sword of Justice (which so long had slumber'd in the Scabbard) drawn against them for their Devillish Treason, judg'd it neces∣sary to divert the edge another way; if therefore they could bring the Pro∣testants under a suspicion of that guilt whereof they stood clearly convicted, 'twas hoped the Current of the peoples fury, together with the just indignati∣on of the Magistrate, would turn also, and not run so violently against their Party; for all men naturally fortifie against the present evil, and set them∣selves against the latest, and freshest Enemy; and therefore it could not other∣wise fall out, but that they must ease their own Shoulders, whilest they loaded other mens Backs; and the Fire which threatned to burn them up, would slake, when they had provided it other Fewel: Their former Treasons would be buried in the Grave of new Protestant Rebellions; and fresh Crimes would be a kind of an Act of Oblivion for their State-Villanies.

2. They promis'd themselves, that if their Plot had made those Impressions upon his Majesties belief, as to look upon so considerable a number of his Pro∣testant Subjects as Enemies to his Person, and Government, they should then be the only White-boyes, and immediately jump into the Embraces of his Royal Arms: for what other Consequences could follow from those Premises? If the Protestants lose ground, they must win it, and pitch their conquering Tents upon the deserted Field.

3. It must be Infinite satisfaction to their Revengeful Spirits, could they once see the most Eminent Protestants drawn to Tyburn in the same pompous State, wherein their Reverend Fathers, and glorious Martyrs, so lately rode thither; nor could any thing be sweeter to such a heightned Malice, than to see those who had been their just Accusers for Treason, to suffer, however innocently, for the same pretended Crimes.

4. Though their whole design be now laid open; yet may they hope for this considerable advantage, that now the Nation may be tempted to think, the late Popish Plot was but a Contrivance of the Protestants: since it evidently ap∣pears, that the present pretended Plot of the Protestants, is but a contrivance

of the Papists; Thus they would use their own notorious Lyes to perswade us there is no Truth; and that all the world are Knaves, because they have given us such demonstration of their Rogueries.

Wise men indeed despise these reasonings, but the far greater part of man∣kind is none of the wisest: and the Game is worth the Candle, if they can but captivate the belief of the many, who may prove good tools, though errant Fools: The Catholick Plot was apparently to their advantage, but this feigned one, had it really been, and been effectual, had ruined the Contrivers: Every man is suppos'd the Author of those Counsels, by which he reaps benefit, hut there could be no temptation to the Protestants, to remove a Protestant Prince, to make room for one that is otherwise minded: The real Popish Plot, was con∣firm'd by such a harmony of concurrent Circumstances, such a cloud of Wit∣nesses, who from all parts without knowledge of each others testimony, fell in with admirable proportion to the same thing, when this new Romance had no∣thing of self consistency, nor agreement with the Truth; And lastly, the Popish Plot was discover'd by those that had a hand, a head, a heart, in it, and were a great part of it, but this upstart Forgery never was owned by any Protestant, and the very Authors, and main Engineers therein, haled by a guilty Consci∣ence, are come in to justifie us, and condemn themselves of unpardonable wickedness and folly; which leads me to the second thing I promised to discourse of, viz.

II. The notorious folly of the present Popish Figment designed to be laid upon the Protestants.

I profess I was somewhile inclined to think that the refined sublimated Wits of the Jesuits (who were never yet blamed for bungling at Mischief,) could not possibly be the Authors of so dull a contrivance; but that some Flegmatick Se∣culars, or heavy headed Bigots of the Laity, had the hammering of it: But we have had some pregnant instances, of the wisest Counsels, which by ill success have been chalkt o'th' back for Follies: For malice sends such thick fumes into the head, as often disturb the understanding; great haste makes the nim∣blest stumble, to which if we add the consideration of the Divine Justice, whose glory it is to snare the wicked in the works of their own hands, it will go far to assoil the difficulty.

1. The Heterogeneous mixture of the persons, joyned, or rather jumbled, together in one Conspiracy, speaks it's ill Contrivance: The Papists, I confess, have one singular advantage above all other men for a cleaver piece of Villany, in that they can be all of a piece in forming, and executing any design for pro∣moting their common cause, and opposing their common Enemies, for though they quarrel bitterly amongst themselves, the Dominicans hating, and hated by the Franciscans: The Molinists persecuting the Jansenists, and these again undermining those; yet they all conspire in advancing that unweildy Kingdom, whereof the Pope is the Head; whereas the Protestants in England having no other point, wherein they can politically unite, but in the Person, and Govern∣ment of his Sacred Majesty; if once you suppose them to divide in that Center, they must divide in infinitum, and can never meet in any Third.

2. 'Twas but a raw project, to Introduce as discerning and apprehensive Per∣sons, as the Nation, perhaps as the world, can boast of, so silly as to engage in a work which must inevitably involve them in destruction: Either their Plot would succeed, or not: If it miscarries, the Law destroys them; If it succeeds, their Enemies destroy them; for I doubt not to avow to all the World; that

some of the most considerable persons, whom these Plot-makers had assign'd to dig in the Mine, must with all their concerns be blown up, to all intents and pur∣poses, as soon as ever the Mine was sprung: Who sees not that many of them hold their Estates, Honours, Dignities, Offices, Preferments, yea Liberties and Lives, for Term at longest, of his Majesty's life and Throne; so that to feign them his Assassinates, is but to suppose them self-murderers; and were they in Chains in a Dungeon, yet so far as life is desirable they are bound in their own defence to make it a standing Petition in their Orisons, God preserve the King of Great-Brittain.

3. 'Twas but odly laid, to assign the Cabals and Clubs, for forming and ma∣nageing this hair-brain'd Plot, to publick houses, The Kings-head-Tavern, the Sun-Tavern, the Green-Dragon-Tavern, and a Chandlers Shop in Westmin∣ster, where to be sure (if any were) all the Knavery must come to light; that they should meet in common Rooms, the through-fares for the Family, at stated days, fixed hours, with a mixed multitude, of various Interests, Humours, Tempers, and Inclinations, who could not possibly understand each others propen∣sities, nor how the pulse of their Affections beat; where without precaution any might be admitted, and the Trapans were admitted, and all this to expedite a Project so dangerous to themselves, so damnable in it self, so improbable to succeed; this is it which poses my belief, and strands the faith of any consider∣ing thinking person.

Observe but with what Circumspection the Jesuites convene in their Con∣sults; how shy and cautelous they are of their own Friends, who are not actu∣ally engaged in the Confederacy: that famous Letter found amongst Harcourt's Papers, produced in the Tryals of Ireland and Whitebread, might have taught us some Policy, had we needed their finesses to subserve any vile occasions of our own.—Every one is minded also not to hasten to London long before the time appointed, nor to appear much about the Town till the Meet∣ing be over, lest occasion be given to suspect the design: Finally, Secre∣sie, as to time and place, is recommended to all those that receive Sum∣mons, as it will appear in its own nature necessary. Surely these grand States-men might have supposed us to have some small pittance of Brains, and not to engross all the Subtlety, as they have monopoliz'd the Knavery, to them∣selves: They that were so timorous, even to Superstition, in their own In∣trigues, might have allow'd us common sense, and not have represented us in a Plot, as they have done some Religious Persons in a Play, for a company of crack-brain'd, non-sensical fools; and I assure them, were I capable of a provo∣cation to bring an Action of slander against them, I would lay it, not only for personating me as a Traytor, but a Coxcomb.

4. The manner of Mr. Dangerfield, and his Privadoes, fastening this Plot upon my self, speaks notorious folly; he tells Capt. Bedford that his friend for whom he had taken the Lodging was not yet come to Town, and yet he tells Mrs. Harris before Bedford, that this Capt. Bedford was that Friend for whom he had taken it; he informs the Officers of the Custom-house, that there were Contreband Goods to the value of 2000 l. stowed in my Chamber, and yet was sollicitous to remove me one pair of Staires higher. Now how inconsist∣ent this was with a supposition that I had such a quantity of Goods in my Cham∣ber, is obvious: for what a noise must we have had with Joyners to contrive new Cells, Drawers, Closets, Lockers, to conceal them? What an over-sight was it to direct the Searchers to look behind the Beds-head, before he had lodged his Papers there; had he been his Crafts-master, he should first have deposited

the Treason, and then have left the Officers to remove the Bed; which their Zeal, hot in pursuit of a Prize, would infallibly have advised them too; what Foolery was it to cry out Treason, before he had read more than the usual Pre∣face to a Letter? I do really believe, the Devil and his Jesuites never sent a more simple Child on their Errands! and what madness was it, to inform of pro∣hibited or uncustomed Goods, when he knew there were none such there? and to make that the umbrage to search for Treason, which he as little knew to be there, seeing the tracing him a Lyar in one instance, might have raised some dust of suspicion in the Spectators Eyes, that indeed all the rest was but a great For∣gery?

And yet the same wretched Impolitickness have they used in their other Act∣ings, When Hettervile's design to Corrupt honest Capt. Berry, proved abor∣tive, they are presently at work again with Capt. Bedlow; and when Reading was so handsomly over-reacht, yet they are incapable of fair warning, and at∣tempt the same threed-bare Method with Dr. Oates. And when that pitiful project proved unsuccessful; they proceed in the same dull, baffled track with Mr. Dugdale: and when they have cast up the accounts of these particulars, the total is thus much, a real proof of their true Plot, and their infatuation in the Conduct of this false one: And still they proceed with that Confi∣dence, as if they were absolute Masters of all Events, and could Command success to wait upon their Stirrup, whatever Idle means they use, or in whatso∣ever Improper Methods they proceed.

5. Nor does it argue more of Wisdom, to rear such a Massive Tow'ring Structure as that of a Plot, against his Majesties Person and Government, upon so slender and sleighty a Foundation; Some persons it seems, accord∣ing to the custom of the Town-converse, do divert themselves in Clubs at Coffee-Houses, Taverns, &c. Where with a certain frankness of Conversation, agreea∣ble to a people that abhor starcht pedantry, they toss the Gazets, and Intelli∣gences up and down; and some one perhaps has pickt up a Pamphlet of more Wit, than Discretion, and fuller of Drollery, than Honesty, which exercises and whets what Ingenuity the company can spare; now in the Career of discourse, some one perhaps applauds what is discommendable, another Censures that of which he is no Competent Judge; and now for these Sculking Limitors to Wire∣draw Treason out of every wry expression, or misplaced word, is wretched dunce∣ry, if it has not a more severe and agreeable Name: But these Sharkes hav∣ing the Jaundise in their own eyes, think all the world yellow, and whatever of baseness they bear in their own bosoms, presently conclude it to be working in other mens brains.

To Conclude (Gentlemen) let their defeated folly teach us Innocent and Loyal Wisdom, for if the designs of Papists will not teach us to oppose our u∣nited strength against their combined Fury, some or other will take the Fools∣cap off from their heads, and put it upon ours. If you either divide your selves, or suffer your selves by their little wheadling tricks to be divided, you must perish, either cruelly by their hands, or shamefully by your own: What progress their Scouts that creep into your Quarters have made that way, and what hopes they have raised upon such progress, wise men see in the Cause, but Fools only feel in the Effects. If like Eteocles, and Polynices, you cannot maintain concord, alive; your enemies will make the experiement, whether your Flames and Ashes will also divide in Smithfield.

Nor let us think it enough to have convicted them of Treasons, except we can approve our own Loyalty: The smoak of suspicion, as well as the fire of

sin, must be avoided; 'tis not sufficient, that brave English tempers are honest, unless our Enemies be convinced we are eminently so.

We have yet one encouragement left us, that those bloody and deceitful Men shall not Out-live their own Plots, nor live out half their own days: For the ruled Cases of Providence upon Record, do abundantly prove, that where Men deal most proudly God is above them; and he whose care extends to the meanest Fly, his Power controuls the great Leviathan; when Aegyptians pursue, and the Angel takes off their Chariot-wheels, and yet they will pur∣sue still, they will find it ill striving against the Stream and Current of Vin∣dicative Justice; when the builders of Babel will go on, and nothing will be restrain'd from them, which they have Imagin'd to do; the next news we hear is, Let's go down, and confound their Languages; And if our Romish Adversaries, not owning that hand of disappointment, which is so visi∣bly stretcht out against them, shall persist to add one Conspiracy to another, they may expect their own Policies will find them out.

Thus much of trouble to have given, was your Concern, and his Du∣ty, who is,

Honoured and Worthy GENTLEMEN,

Your most Humble Servitour, R. MANSELL.

Novem. 3. 1679. Axe-Yard, Westminster.