An exact abridgment of all the trials (not omitting any material passage therein) which have been published since the year 1678: relating to the popish, and pretended Protestant-plots in the reigns of King Charles the 2d, and King James the 2d.

The Trial of Dr. Oliver Plunket, Titular Primate of Ireland, before the Lord Chief Justice Scroggs, at the King's-Bench Bar at Westminster, on Wednes∣day, June 8. 1681.

ON May the 3d. 1681. the Prisoner was there Arraign'd, upon Indictment of High-Treason, for Conspiring the Death of the King, and to levy War in Ireland, and to alter the Religion there, and to introduce a Foreign Power.

To which he urged, that he had been arraign∣ed for the same Treason in Ireland, and at the Day of his Trial the Witnesses against him did not appear. But the Court shew'd him the in∣validity of that Plea, because he had never yet undergone any Trial; therefore he Pleaded Not Guilty.

On Wednesday, June 8. following, he was again brought to the Bar, and still urged for more time, because he pretended he had not yet got over all his Witnesses, and some Records from Ireland; But he having already had five Weeks, the Court would not hearken; and therefore the Jury sworn, were

• Sir. John Roberts,
• ...Thomas Harriott,
• ...Henry Ashurst,
• ...Ralph Bucknall,
• ...Richard Gowre,
• ...Richard Pagett,
• ...Thomas Earsby,
• ...John Hayne,
• ...Thomas Hodgkins,
• ...James Partherich,
• ...Samuel Baker,
• ...VVilliam Hardy.

To whom the Indictment being read, the same was opened by Mr. Heath, Serj. Maynard, and Mr. Attorny General.

And then Florence VVyer being sworn, depo∣sed, That he knew there was a Plot in Ireland, both before Plunkets time, and in his time; which was working in 1665 and 1666, but was brought to full maturity in 1677; then Col. Rely and Col. Bourne being sent from the French King into Ireland, with a Commission to muster as many Men as they could; promising to send an Army of 40000 Men to land at Carlingford on St. Lewis-day, to destroy all Protestants, and set up the French King's Authority. And one Ed∣mond Angle, a Justice of Peace, and Clerk of the Crown, sent for all the Rebels abroad in the North to come up into the County of Long∣ford; and they marched into the head Town of the County, and fired it; the Inhabitants fled into the Castle; but Angle being shot, the Rebels fled, and carried with them all the Papers Angle had in his Pocket. Hereupon Col. Bourne be∣came suspected, and was imprison'd, and Col. Rely fled into France, and the Plot lay under a Cloud, till the Prisoner came to be Primate, which he got by the French King's help, upon his promising to prepare things in Ireland for his Interest: and that about 10 or 11 Years ago, in the first Year of his Primacy, when the Prisoner came to the Friery at Armagh, (he being there) one Quine told him, That they thought Duffy would have been Primate; said he, 'tis better as it is, for Duffy hath not the wit to do those things that I have undertaken to do.—That he had

heard the Prisoner own himself to be made Primate by the Pope; and that he writ him∣self Oliverus Armacanus Primat & Metropolitanus totius Hiberniae; and had made Warrants sub paena suspensionis, for his Priests to pay Mony for to supply the French Army; and to let him know how many there were in all their Parishes from sixteen to sixty. And that he had seen him going from Port to Port; and that he pitch'd on Carlingford as most convenient for the French to land at.

Henry O-Neal deposed, That in August, 1678, Bishop Tyrril came with 40 odd Horse-Men to Vicar-General Brady's House, where he gave them all the Oath of Secrecy to forward the Plot against the Protestants, whom he said, they would make an end of, from end to end, in Ireland in one hour; and that he should have an Order for it from the Lord Oliver Plunket; and that he and Plunket had sent Mony into France to get Men, and to bring them into Ireland.

Neal O-Neal deposed the same, he also being at that time at Vicar Bradey's House, being August 21. 1678.

Owen Murfey, only swore, That Lieutenant Baker told him, That Mr. Edmond Murfey did discover the Plot to him, that there was a Design to bring in the French; but of his own Know∣ledg he could say nothing.

Hugh Duffy deposed, That he had seen several of the Prisoner's Orders to raise Mony, and had collected some for him (being Curate of Cogham and a Fryer) and had, by his Order, returned him also a list of the Age of every Person in

his Parish, from 16 to 60; and that he accom∣panied him, when he view'd the Port of Car∣lingford, which he thought most convenient for landing the French; and had seen his Letter in France to Cardinal Bovillon, that he should pre∣vail with that King not to invade Spain, but rather wage War with the King of England, who had been an Apostate, and help their poor Country that was daily tormented with Here∣tical Jurisdiction. That he was present at a great Consult near Clouds, where the Prisoner was Chief; and gave special Order for a List to be got of all the Officers in the late Re∣bellion, and that lost their Estates, because they would be more forward in this Design. That he himself was forward herein, till he had been in France in 1677, and there seeing the slavery of the French People, he thought it were better the Devil should reign over them, than the French-Man.

Edmond Murfey hesitated much in giving his Evidence, tho he had given it in the fullest of any to the Grand Jury, but afterwards he ran away, and was found at the Spanish Ambassadors; though he owned that the Prisoner was to get 60 or 70000 l. for the establishing Popery. But because he fenced in his Evidence, the King's Counsel desired he might be committed, which was done accordingly.

John Mac-Legh, a Parish Priest in the County of Monagham in Ireland, deposed, That the Prisoner had received several Sums of Mony there, and he had raised and paid him some,

for Arms and Ammunition for the Papists: That he was at Vicar Bradey's House when Bishop Tyrrill came thither. And that in France he had seen the Conditions upon which the Priso∣ner was made Primate, which was to raise Men to join with the French, to destroy the Prote∣stant Religion.

John Moyer, a Regular Priest, and Begging Frier deposed, That in 1672, he met with a Letter of the Prisoners in Caprennica, directed to the Secretary of the Colledg, De Propaganda Fide, which he opened and copied, (producing the Copy) wherein was said, That 'twas more proper for the Catholick Princes to agree to∣gether to extirpate Heresy, than to vary among themselves; that now was the time: for there were 60000 Men ready to rise upon such an Invasion. That in 1674, when he came into Ireland, he told the Prisoner of this Let∣ter, and that he had seen it, who thereupon pray'd him to be secret; for what he did, was not for his own Good, but for the publick Good of the Catholicks; who proffered him high Pro∣motions, if he would further the Design. That he was at a Consult afterwards, where the Pri∣mate, Bishop Tyrrel, and others were, where they concluded to send Capt. Con O-Neale to France and Barcellona, with certain Instruments, where∣with the Captain shortly went; and the two Bishops undertook to view Munster and Ʋlster, and that this was in 1676.

To all this the Prisoner only protested his Innocency, complaining that his Witnesses,

and some Records he had not had time to procure; and that the Jury were Strangers to him, and the Witnesses; and that by being brought out of his Country, his Life was in dan∣ger, where these Witnesses would not have been believed against him.

Then Mr. Sollicitor General, and Serj. Jeffe∣ries, having summ'd up the Evidence, and the Lord Chief Justice giving the Charge, the Ju∣ry withdrew for a quarter of an Hour, and then brought the Prisoner in Guilty.

And on Wednesday, June 15. after the Pri∣soner had pleaded the same things over a∣gain, and informed the Court that now his Witnesses were come as far as Coventry; be∣ing shew'd the insufficiency of such a Plea, after so long time the Court had given him before his Trial, the Lord Chief Justice sen∣tenc'd him to be Drawn, Hang'd, and Quar∣tered.

Which accordingly was execcuted upon him (together with Fitz-Harris) at Tyburn, on Fri∣day, July 1. following.