The second part of the Display of tyranny; or Remarks upon the illegal and arbitrary proceedings in the Courts of Westminster, and Guild-Hall London. From the year, 1678. to the abdication of the late King James, in the year 1688. In which time, the rule was, quod principi placuis, lex esto.

To draw to (what I have impatiently desired) a conclusion; It is a sad Truth, that the Conspirators had long resolved to go to hanging work, & Sr Roger L' Estrange could more certainly predict the time, than Mr Gadbury could that of the Birth of his Prince of Wales; for at that very Juncture, when it was resolved, That Sr Dudley North must be Sr John Moores Sheriff; We had the direful Consequences foretold in the Observator, of May 20. 1682, Number 140. in these words. If it should please God to send us SEASONA∣BLE SHERIFFS, and faire Play for our money, there are set a soot so many Titles

in competition for the Gallowes, that it would be a hard mat∣ter to settle their Claimes, and say, who should go first. And We know that the Gentleman was a Mini∣ster of State in that Reign: But to allow every thing its due weight, and to set the Tragedy of that dismal day In its pro∣per Light; I sha here revive the Re∣membrance of the dying Testimonys of very serious Persons who then lost their Lives, for that horrid Conspiracy against the late Kings Charles and James the Second; which frighted the Cheshire Grand Jury, and with them, a great part of the Kingdom, out of their VVits.

'Tis well known, that the VVitnesses against them, swore for their own Lives, with halters about their Necks; and its as true, that most of the Witnesses had talk't at a mad rate, in the hearing of some of those whom they destroyed;

But see, what those dying Protestants in a most solemn manner declared, with their last Breath.

Mr Colledge took it upon his death, That he was never engaged in any man∣ner of Plot or Conspiracy against the King, the Laws or the Government; or knew of any, except that of the Papists; That if it had been true, that he was to have seized the King; he knew not of so much as one single Person, that was or would have stood by him, in that attempt.

Captain VValcot denyed any design of killing the King, or of engaging the Guards, whilst others killed him; And said, that the Witnesses invited him to Meetings, where some things were discoursed of, in order to the asserting our Liberties and Properties; which we lookt upon to be violated and invaded: —That They im∣portuned and perpetually solicited him, and then deliver'd him up to be hang'd — That They combined together to swear him out of his Life, to save their own; and that they might do it effectually, They contri∣ved an Ʋntruth. — That he forgave them, tho' guilty of his Blood; But, with∣al, earnestly begg'd, That they might be

observed, that Remarks might be set upon them, whether their end be peace: and he concluded (with what made Sr Roger L'Estrange a great deal of Sport, but yet Heaven has made it good) That when God HATH A WORK TO DO, HE WILL NOT WANT Instruments.

Mr Holloway declared, that Mr West proposed the Assassination, but none seconded him.—That he could not per∣ceive that Mr Ferguson knew any thing of it; and Holloway said, It was our de∣sign to shed no Blood; He being interro∣gated, by Mr Ferguson's Friend, Mr Sheriff Daniel, whether he knew Fergu∣son; He answer'd that he did know him, but knew him to be against any design of killing the King.

Sr Tho. Armstrong, at his death spoke thus; Mr Attorney said, I was accused for being one of Those who were to kill the King; I take God to witness, I never had any such design; nor ever had a thought to take away the King's Life; Neither ever had any man the impudence to pro∣pose so barbarous and base a thing to me.

Mr Nelthorp at his death in 1685, said, I can with great comfort appeal to the great God; before whose Tribunal I am to appear; what I did was in the sincerity of my Heart, thinking it my duty to hazard my Life, for the Preservation of the Pro∣testant Religion, and the English Liber∣ties; which I thought invaded, and in great danger to be lost; As to the design of Assassinating or Murdering the late King, or his present Majesty; it was a thing I always detested; and I never was in the least concerned in it; Nor did I be∣lieve there was such a design,—I dye in Charity with all the World; and can readily and heartily forgive my greatest Enemies, and even those that have been the Evidence against me.

Mr Rouse declared, that he was told, that They did not intend to spill one drop of Blood; and affirmed that Lee, the Wit∣ness against him, did (by his Evidence) make him the Author of the very words, that came out of his the said Lee's own Mouth.

Mr Richard Rumbold (who at his death, at Edenburgh, in 1685, was found to be

a very brave Man, & most serious Chri∣stian, and had been represented as the main Promoter of the Murdering design) with his last breath desired all to believe his dying Words, and therewith affirmed; that he never directly, or indirectly, intend∣ed such a Villany as the death of King Charles the second, and the Duke of York; but declared, that he abhorred the thoughts of so horrid an intention: That he was sure this Truth, would at the great day, be manifest to all Men; And he concluded, that he dyed in the defence of the just Laws and Liberties of the Na∣tion; and said, that for that Cause, were every Hair of his Head and Beard a Life, he would joyfully sacrifice them all; and wisht he had a Limb for every Town in Chri∣stendom.

To conclude, these solemn, serious, dying Declarations, Protestations and Ap∣peals to the heart-searching God; have always, out-weighed with me, the E∣vidence of those two or three Witnesses, who swore these Persons out of their Lives, and by so doing saved their own. And I did and do most stedfastly believe, that the only Plot in that day, was the same, which the Almighty has at

length owned, and most signally pro∣spered, in the hand of our gracious Au∣gust and Rightful Soveraign King William; I mean, the rescuing the Protestant Reli∣gion and the Laws and Liberties of Eng∣land, from a most impetuous Torrent of Popery and Tyranny; wherewith they were very dangerously threatned. And methinks it should even convert a Tory (unless his Brains were pick'd out of his Shull, by him who pick'd the Guineas out of his Pocket) when he casts his Eye upon that apposite & Emphatical Expression in the Observator, vol. 2. Num∣ber 125. To deal freely with thee, TRIMMER, I have more Faith, in the Words of one dying Traytor, under the stroke of Iustice, than of twenty Living.

Notes

• The same celebrated Auther, told the World whom the esteemed his seasonable Sheriffs; for in his Observator of May 17th 1684. he sayes; Prithee will thou set their Cornish and Bethel their Pilkington and Shnte, against Our North and Rich; Our Daniel and Dashwood; and say which of these Sheriffes are the like∣lyer Men, to juggle Protestants out of their Lives. [But the Poor VVhigg durst not for his Eares, at that day, answer this ensnareing Question; for if he had, and done it hon∣estly, it might have cost him his Head.]