An answer to a late paper intituled a true copy of a paper written by Capt. Tho. Walcot in Newgate after his condemnation and delivered to his son immediately before his execution : being also his last speech at the place of execution / by Robert West.

AN ANSWER TO A LATE PAPER, INTITULED, A True Copy of a Paper Written By Capt. THO. WALCOT In Newgate after his CONDEMNATION, and Delivered to his Son immediately before his EXECUTION; being also his Last Speech at the Place of Execution.

By ROBERT WEST.

AS I will always be tender of any mans Life, so I would be of his Fame after his Death; but the Duty I owe to my self, and to truth, obliges me to give an Answer to part of this Pamphlet. Though through God's and the King's Mercy I am not at the apparent point of Death, yet I will declare the truth as sincerely as if I were so: for I hope I am much more convinced of the Horridness of my Crime, and have more truly Repented of it than Capt. Walcot seems by this Paper to have done; for notwithstanding his large Profession of his Faith there, He has not stuck to insert as many false∣hoods in this last Paper, as any man that suffered in the Popish Plot is charged to have done in his Last Speech.

In October last Capt. Walcot acquainted me that there was a Design to Assassinate the King and Duke in their return that Month from Newmarket; and that if that were not effected, an Insurrection was intended on the Nineteenth of Nov. following, which was the first knowledge I had of any Real Plot whatsoever carrying on against the King. He told me indeed though he thought an Assassination Lawful, he look'd upon it as an ungenerous thing, and therefore would not engage Personally in it; but he told me he would be con∣cern'd in the Insurrection, and expected to be a Coll. of Horse, and would have had me taken a Command under Him, which I refused; and he desired me to buy Him a Tuck and lend him my silk Armour, which I agreed to do. To this he gave no Answer at his Tryal, nor gives any in this Paper: so that he tacitely Confesses it true, which I think is a clear Evidence that he first drew me into Plots, and I did not draw him into any.

The Assassination not taking effect in October, and the intended Insurrection being diverted, I had several discourses with Ferguson, who as Capt. Walcot told me, had the chief management of it, concerning an in∣tended Assassination after the several manners I menti∣oned in my Evidence at Capt. Walcots Tryal; at some of which I think Capt. Walcot was present, and I am sure he was made privy to them all by me (he coming often to my Chamber) and by Ferguson with whom he was very intimate. He always approved of it, but, to do him right here as I did at his Tryal, he still re∣fus'd to engage Personally in it for the same reason of it's being dishonourable. About the Nineteenth or Twentieth of Nov. he and Ferguson went with the late E. of Shaftsbury into Holland, and return'd to London about Ash-wednesday last. In their absence some discourses were had concerning an Assassination and an Insurrection, but no resolutions were taken by us till their return. Then Ferguson undertook the manage∣ment of an Assassination, and to procure money to carry it on, and at one meeting told us he had engag'd Capt. Walcot to Act in it, and that the Capt. would meet us for the Future, which he did several times as oft as his Gout would let him; particularly he met us twice or thrice about a fortnight before the Kings last return from Newmarket, and then declared he would be one to fight the Guards, but would not set

upon the Coach; not out of any scruple of Conscience, (as he falsly insinuates in his Paper, we alledg'd he did,) but out of a scruple of honour; saying it was base to set upon a naked man, but to fight armed men had darger and some bravery in it. After news of the fire at Newmar••et he met us twice more to consider whether the attempt might be made notwithstanding the King's suddain return; at both, which times he continued to express his resolution, to be one to fight the Guards. I consess he said it might bring a reproach upon his Children, and therefore de••red to have his name con∣ceal'd, and did urge, the D. of Monmuth might revenge the Kings Death for his own Vindication; but that objection was taken off by resolving to kill the Duke of Monmuth, if he did offer to punish the Acters, and Fer••uson, not my self, undertook the Duke should not. All the injury I did Capt. Walcot in my Evidence was the omission of an expression of his when he declared he would fight the Guards, which in that multitude of particulars I then deliver'd, slipt my memory, viz. that he look'd upon the Action to be so lawful and Justifiable that he could die in it with a safe Conscience: so far was he from making any scruple of Conscience to Act in it.

He owns being at some meetings where discourses were held concerning asserting our Liberties and Pro∣perties, yet mentions not what those discourses were, but would insinuate they were to some other purpose, and calls it his misfortune and unhappiness that he was present at them. Those discourses were only about an Assassination and an Insurrection, and the misfortune was of his own choosing: for if he did not come over from Ireland principally for such purposes, I am sure he told me he staid in England for them, and 'twas only his Gout hindred him from the unhappiness (as he calls it) of being at every Meeting.

'Tis very true I went several times to visit him after his return from Holland when he had the Gout, but went alone but twice or thrice, and one of those times he was got abroad. I usually gave him an account of what passed at the Meetings when he was absent, but I did not urge an Assassination at the Play-house as he falsely suggests; For after his and Ferguson's return from Holland, it was agreed to lay aside all Attempts any where but in the return from Newmarket, and all the debates were about mangaging that. What I talk'd to him about the Play-house, was before his voyage into Holland; and though I believe I did use that ex∣pression to him, and afterward to Rumbold, [that at the Play house they would die in their Calling] I only re∣peated it after Ferguson who was the first Author of that saying. The Arms he mentioned to be bought by me, were agreed to be bought at a full Meeting, but not till Easter and after the Kings return from New∣market; and Capt. Walcot was present at that Meeting, and joyn'd in the directions about the nature and sizes of those Arms. The Arms were Blunderbusses, Carbines, and Horse-Pistolls, which certainly were very improper, to be used at a Play-house, and the King was then going to reside at Windsor and Winchester for all the Summer, as was reported; and therefore no man in his senses can believe I bought them for that purpose, or could de∣sign the effecting it at a Play-house, but must look upon that as a malicious charge upon me, and his pretence to forgive us only a piece of Hypocritical and customary Cant. There was then some proposal by Ferguson to see for an opportunity of an Assassination between Windsor and Hampton-Court; but all thoughts of that and of the Play-house which was then also nam'd, were soon laid aside, and a General Insurrection became the thing only intended. 'Tis true he never saw the Arms be∣cause they were never fetch'd from the Gunsmith till after the Discovery, but he was very Intimate and familiar with Rumbold who was to be the principal Acter in the Assassination, and was at most of the meet∣ings, and parti••ularly at that when the Arms were agreed to be bought. The men to commit the Assassi∣nation were all provided by Ferguson, Rumbold and Goodenough, as Capt. Walcot very well knew, and not one to be procured by Coll. Rumsey or my self. He thought not fit to urge any thing of this at his Tryal, because he knew he could be so easily answered.

As to the Combination he charges me and Coll. Rumsey with to swear his agreement to fight the Guards, nothing can be more improbable. We parted at his Lodgings to several pla••es unknown to each other, and after we were in custody were kept close Prisoners without the possibility of sending a Note to, or receiving one from each other or any body else, and we saw not each other till we were called to give Evidence, and I had delivered my Evidence to the King (and so I be∣lieve Coll. Rumsey had his) before Capt. Walcot was taken. Neither was there any necessity to contrive such a Charge against him, for his being at any meet∣ings and debates which he confesses, was sufficient to make him Guilty of High Treason Had he not been conscious how fully we could charge him, he would not have directed his Son to tamper with Coll Rumsey and me to mince our Evidence against him, as appeared by a Note produced at his Tryal. I am not concerned at the sly denunciation of judgments upon us, which is an usual thing with Men of his perswasion (and it may be he re∣commended us to the revenge of his Sons or some of his friends) but wish he were no more guilty of prevari∣cating with God, than I am of Perjury in my Evidence. He hath not thought fit to express in this Paper any sense of his Guilt or Repentance for it, but rather seems to retain his Old Opinion of it's being a lawful thing. He only blames his own Credulity, and advises his friends only against trusting men, not against his crime, and in effect repeats what he said to us at our part∣ing after the discovery, viz, that he believ'd God would yet deliver the Nation, but he did not like the present Instruments who have undertaken it.

If it shall please the King to spare my Life for my Confession and Repentance, it is a great happiness I can have it for doing no more than my Duty. By his Letter to the Secretary of State produced at his Tryal, it ap∣peared he would gladly have sav'd his own so, and de∣sired to have made the D. of M. and other Persons of Quality's blood (to use his own Phrase) the Price of his own Life: which is a full Answer to that Popular Objection he makes against our Evidence.