The last speech of Mr. Oliver Plunket, titular Primate of Ireland who was executed at Tyburn on Friday the 1st of this instant July, 1681 written by his own hand.

The Last SPEECH OF Mr. Oliver Plunket, Titular PRIMATE of IRELAND, Who was Executed at Tyburn on Friday the 1st. of this instant July, 1681.

Written by his own Hand.

I Have some few days past abided my Tryal at the Kings-Bench, and now very soon I must hold up my Hand at the King of King's Bench, and appear before a Judge who cannot be deceived by False Witnesses, or Corrupted Allegations; For he knoweth the secrets of Hearts: Neither can he deceive any, or give an Un∣just Sentence, or be Mislead by respects of persons; He being all goodness, and a most just Judge, will infallibly decree an eternal Reward for all good works, and Condign punish∣ment for the smallest Transgression against his Commandments. Which being a most cer∣tain and undoubted Truth; it would be a wicked Act, and contrary to my perpetual welfare, that I should now by declaring any thing contrary to Truth, commit a detestable sin, for which within a very short time I must receive Sentence of Ever∣lasting Damnation; after which there is no Reprieve or hope of Pardon. I will there∣fore Confess the Truth, without any Equivocation, and make use of the words ac∣cording to their accustomed signification; assuring you moreover, that I am of that cer∣tain perswasion, that no Power, not only upon Earth, but also in Heaven, can dis∣pence with me, or give me leave to make a False Protestation: And I protest upon the word of a Dying man, and as I hope for Salvation at the Hands of the Supream Judge, that I will declare the Naked Truth with all Candor and Sincerity: And that my Affairs may be the better known to all the World,

'Tis to be observed, that I have been Accused in Ireland of Treason and Praemunire, and that there I was Arraigned and brought to my Tryal; but the Prosecutors (men of Flagitious and Infamous Lives) perceiving that I had Records and Witnesses who would Evidently convince them, and clearly shew my Innocency and their wick∣edness, they voluntarily absented themselves, and came to this City, to procure that I should be brought hither to my Tryal (where the Crimes objected were not committed,) where the Jury did not know me, or the Qualities of my Accusers, and were not informed of several other Circumstances conducing to a Fair Tryal. Here, after six Months Close Imprisonment (or there abouts) I was brought to the Bar the third of May, and Arraigned for a Crime, for which I was before Arraigned in Ireland: A strange Resolution, a rare Fact, of which you will hardly find a Precedent these five hundred years past: But whereas my Witnesses and Records

were in Ireland, the Lord Chief Justice gave me five weeks time to get them brought hither: But by reason of the uncertainty of the Seas, of Wind and Weather, and of the difficulty of getting Copies of Records, and bringing many Witnesses from several Counties in Ireland, and for many other Impediments (of which Affidavit was made) I could not at the end of the five weeks get the Records and Witnesses brought hi∣ther; I therefore begged for twelve days more; that I might be in a readiness for my Tryal, which the Lord Chief Justice denyed; and so I was brought to my Tryal, and exposed, as it were, with my Hands Tyed, to those Merciless Perjurors, who did aim at my Life, by Accusing me of these following points.

First, That I have sent Letters by one Nial O Neale (who was my Page) to Monsieur Baldeschi, the Pope's Secretary; to the Bishop of Aix, and to Principe Colonna, that they might Sollicit Forraign Powers to Invade Ireland; and also to have sent Letters to Cardinal Bullion to the same effect.

Secondly, To have imployed Captain Con O Neale to the French King for Succour.

Thirdly, To have Levied and Exacted Moneys from the Clergy of Ireland to bring in the French, and to maintain seventy thousand men.

Fourthly, To have had in a readiness seventy thousand men, and Lists made of them, and to have given Directions to one Frier Duffy to make a List of 250 men in the Parish of Foghart in the County of Lowth.

Fifthly, To have Surrounded all the Forts and Harbours of Ireland, and to have fixed upon Carlingford as a fit Harbour for the Frenches Landing.

Sixthly, To have had several Councils and Meetings, where there was Money alloted for Introducing the French.

Finally, that a Meeting in the County of Monaghan, some 10 or 12 years past, where there were 300 Gentlemen of three several Counties, to wit, Monaghan, Cavan and Ar∣magh; whom I did exhort to take Arms to recover their Estates.

To the first I answer, that Nial O Neale was never my Servant or Page, and that I never sent Letter or Letters by him to Monsieur Baldeschi, or the Bishop of Aix, or to Principe Colonna. And I say, that the English Translation of that pretended Letter produced by the Frier Macmoyer is a meer invention of his, and never Penned by me, or its Original, either in English, Latin, Italian, or any other Language. I affirm moreover, that I never wrote Letter or Letters to Cardinal Bullion, or any of the French Kings Ministers; neither did any who was in that Court either speak to me, or write to me directly or indirectly, of any Plot or Conspiracy against my King or Country. Farther, I Vow that I never sent Agent or Agents to Rome, or to any other Court, about any Civil or Temporal Affairs: And 'tis well known, (for it is a Precept publickly Printed) that Clergy-men (living in Countries where the Govern∣ment is not of Roman Catholicks) are commanded by Rome, not to write to Rome, concerning any Civil or Temporal Affairs. And I do aver, that I never received Letter or Letters from the Pope, or from any other of his Ministers making the least mention of any such matters: So that the Friers Macmoyer and Duffy Swore most Falsly, as to such Letter or Letters, Agent or Agents.

To the second, I say that I never employed Capt. Con O Neal to the French King, or to any of his Ministers; and that I never wrote to him, or received Letters from him; and that I never saw him but once, nor ever spoke to him to the best of my remembrance ten words; and as for his being in Charlemount, or Dungannon, I never saw him in them Towns, or knew of his being in those places; So that as to Con O Neale, Fryer Mack Moyer's Depositions are most false.

To the third, I say that I never Levyed any Money for a Plot or Conspiracy, for bringing in Spaniards or French, neither did I ever receive any upon that account, from Priests or Fryers, as Priest Mac-Clave, and Fryer Duffy most untruly asserted. I assure you, that I never received from any Clergy-man in Ireland, but what was due to me by ancient custom for my maintenance; and what my Predecessors these hundred years past were wont to receive; nay I received less than many of them. And if all what the Catholick-Clergy of Ireland get in the year, were put in one

Purse, it would signify little or nothing to introduce the French, or to raise an Army of seventy thousand Men, which I had Insisted, and ready, as Fryer Mac Moyer most falsly deposed; Neither is it less untrue what Fryer Duffy attested, viz. That I di∣rected him to make a List of 250. Men in the Parish of Foghart, in the County of Lowth.

To the fifth, I answer, that I never surrounded all the Forts or Harbours of Ireland, and that I was never at Cork, Kinsale, Bantry, Youghal, Dungarvan, or Knockfergus; and these 36 years past I was not at Limerick, Duncanon or Wexford. As for Car∣lingford I was never in it but once, and staid not in it above half an hour; Neither did I consider the Fort or Haven; Neither had I it in my thoughts or imagination to fix upon it, or upon any other Fort or Haven, for Landing of French or Spani∣ards; and whilst I was at Carlingford (by meer chance, passing that way) Fryer Duffy was not in my Company, as he most falsly Swore.

To the sixth, I say that I was never at any Meeting or Counsel, where there was mention made of allotting or collecting of Moneys, for a Plot or Conspiracy; and 'tis well known, that the Catholick Clergy of Ireland, who have neither Lands nor Revenues, and hardly are able to keep decent Cloaths upon their Backs, and Life and Soul together, can raise no considerable sum; nay cannot spare as much as would maintain half a Regiment.

To the seventh, I answer, that I was never at any meeting of 300. Gentlemen in the County of Monaghan, or of any Gentlemen of the three Counties of Monaghan, Ar∣magh, and Cavan, nor of one County, nor of one Barony; and that I never exhorted Gentleman or Gentlemen either there, or in any other part of Ireland, to take Arms for the recovering their Estates; And 'tis well known that there are not even in all the Province of Ʋlster 300 Irish Roman Catholicks, who had Estates, or lost Estates by the late Rebellion; And as 'tis well known, all my thoughts and endeavours were for the quiet of my Country, and especially of that Province.

Now to be brief, As I hope for Salvation I never sent Letter or Letters, Agent, or Agents, to Pope, King, Prince, or Prelate, concerning any Plot or Conspiracy against my King or Country; I never raised sum or sums of Money, great or small to maintain Souldier or Souldiers all the days of my life; I never knew or heard, (neither did it come to my thoughts or imagination,) that the French were to Land at Carlingford; and I believe there is none who saw Ireland even in a Map, but will think it a meer Romance; I never knew of any Plotters or Conspirators in Ireland, but such as were Notorious and Proclaimed (commonly called Tories,) whom I did endeavour to suppress. And as I hope for Salvation, I always have been, and am intirely Innocent of the Treasons laid to my Charge, and of any other whatsoever.

And tho' I be not guilty of the Crimes of which I am accused, yet I believe none came ever to this Place who is in such a condition as I am; for if I should even ac∣knowledge, (which in Conscience I cannot do, because I should bely my self) the chief Crimes laid to my charge, no wise man that knows Ireland would believe me. If I should confess that I was able to raise 70000 men in the districts of which I had care, to wit; in Ʋlster; nay, even in all Ireland, and to have levyed and exacted moneys from the Roman Clergy for their maintenance, and to have prepared Car∣lingford for the French's Landing, all would but laugh at me; it being well known, that all the Revenues of Ireland, both Spiritual and Temporal, possessed by His Ma∣jesty's Subjects, are scarce able to raise and maintain an Army of 70000 men. If I will deny all those Crimes, (as I did, and do) yet it may be that some, who are not acquainted with the Affairs of Ireland, will not believe that my denial is groun∣ded upon Truth, tho' I assert it with my last breath. I dare venture farther, and af∣firm; That if these points of 70000 men, &c. had been Sworn before any Protestant Jury in Ireland, and had been even acknowledged by me at the Bar, they would not believe me, no more than if it had been deposed, and confessed by me, That I had flown in the Air from Dublin to Holy-head.

You see therefore what a Condition I am in, and you have heard what Protestati∣ons I have made of Innocency, and I hope you will believe the words of a dying man; And that you may be the more induced to give me credit, I assure you, That a great Peer sent me notice, That he would save my Life, if I would accuse others. but I answered, That I never knew of any Conspirators in Ireland, but such (as I said before) as were publickly known Outlaws; And that, to save my Life, I would not falsly accuse any, nor prejudice my own Soul. Quid prodest homini, &c. To take away any man's Life or Goods wrongfully, ill becometh any Christian, especially a man of my Calling, being a Clergy-man of the Catholick Church, and also an unworthy Prelate, which I do openly confess. Neither will I deny to have exercised in Ireland the Functions of a Catholick Prelate, as long as there was any Connivance or Toleration; and by Preaching, and Teaching, and Statutes, to have endeavoured to bring the Clergy (of which I had a care) to a due comportment, according to their Calling; and tho' thereby I did but my duty, yet some who would not amend had a prejudice for me, and especially my Accusers, to whom I did endeavour to do good; I mean the Clergy-men, (as for the four Lay-men who appeared against me, viz. Florence Mac-Moyer, the 2 Neals, and Hanlon, I was never acquainted with them;) but you see how I am re∣quited, and how by false Oaths they brought me to this untimely death; which wicked act being a defect of Persons, ought not to reflect upon the Order of S. Francis, or upon the Roman Catholick Clergy. It being well known, that there was a Judas among the ••2 Apostles, and a wicked man called Nicholas amongst the seven Diacons; And even, as one of the said Diacons, to wit, holy Stephen, did pray for those who stoned him to death; so do I, for those who with Perjuries spill my Innocent Blond, saying, as St. Stephen did, O Lord lay not this Sin to them. I do heartily forgive them, and also the Judges, who (by denying me sufficient time to bring my Records and Witnesses from Ireland) did expose my Life to evident danger. I do also for∣give all those who had a hand in bringing me from Ireland to be tryed here, where it was morally impossible for me to have a fair Tryal. I do finally forgive all who did concur, directly or indirectly, to take away my Life, and I ask forgiveness of all those whom I ever offended by Thought, Word or Deed.

I beseech the All-powerful, That his Divine Majesty grant our King, Queen and the Duke of York, and all the Royal Family, Health, long Life, and all Prosperity in this world, and in the next Everlasting felicity

Now that I have shewed sufficiently (as I think) how Innocent I am of any Plot or Conspiracy; I would I were able, with the like Truth, to clear my self of high Crimes committed against the Divine Majesties Commandments (often transgressed by me) for which I am sorry with all my heart; and if I should, or could live a thousand years, I have a firm resolution, and a strong purpose, by your Grace (O my God) never to offend you; and I beseech your Divine Majesty, by the merits of Christ, and by the Intercession of his Blessed Mother, and all the holy Angels and Saints, to forgive me my Sins, and to grant my Soul Eternal Rest. Miserere mei Deus, &c. Parce animae, &c. In manus Tuas, &c.

Postscript.

TO the final satisfaction of all Persons, that have the Charity to believe the Words of a Dying Man; I again declare before God, as I hope for Sal∣vation, what is contained in this Paper, is the plain and naked truth, without any Equivocation, Mental Reservation, or secret Evasion whatsoever; taking the Words in their usual sense and meaning, as Protestants do, when they discourse with all Candour and sincerity. To all which I have here subscribed my Hand,

OLIVER PLUNKET.