direction, so he takes upon him to write a de- tiations to be made with men abroad, money | plausible reasons. As he did this without any to be procured, partly at home from friends here, and partly abroad from those that wished them well: and in all these negociations Mr. Coleman had a mighty hand; and you will perceive by and by what a great progress he made in them. This conspiracy went so far, as you will hear it proved, that there were general officers named and appointed, that should command their new Catholic army, and many were engaged, if not listed. There were not only in England, but in Ireland likewise, where arms and all other necessaries were provided, and whither great sums of money were returned to serve upon occasion. But one thing there is, my lord, that comes nearest Mr. Coleman : as there were military officers named, so likewise the great civil places and offices of the kingdom were to be disposed of; I will not name to whom at this time, more than what is pertinent to the present business. This gentleman, such were his great abilities, the trust and reliance that his party had upon him, that no less an office would serve his turn than that of principal secretary of state; and he had a commission, that came to him from the superiors of the Jesuits, to enable him to execute that great office. My lord, it seems strange, that so great an office should be conferred by no greater a man than the superior of the Jesuits. But if the pope can depose kings, and dispose of kingdoms, no wonder if the superior of the Jesuits can by a power delegated from him make secretaries. It is not certain what the date of this commission was, nor the very time when he received it: but I believe he was so earnest and forward in this Plot, that he began to execute his office long before he had his commission for it; for I find by his letters, which are of a more early date, that he had proceeded so far as to treat with Father Ferryer, who was the French king's confessor, before he had actually received this commission. You will understand by the letters, which we shall produce, what he had to do with him, and what with the other confessor that succeeded, Father La Chaise. There were two small matters they treated of, no less than the dissolving the parliament; and the extirpation of the Protestant religion, Nay, you will find, and you will hear enough, when the letters come to be read, that Mr. Coleman made many strokes at the parliament, he had no good opinion of them." And we cannot blame him; for without all peradventure they had made, and I hope ever will make, strong resistance against such designs as these. But a great mind he had to be rid of them; and he had hopes of great sums of money from abroad, if it had been to be done that way. And it is very remarkable (and shews the vanity of the man,) he had such an opinion of the success of these negotiations, that he had penned a declaration prepared by him, and writ with his own hand, to be published in print, upon the dissolution of the parliament, to justify that action with many specious and My lord, you shall find, Mr. Coleman thought himself above all; and such was his own over-weening opinion of his wit and policy, that he thought himself the sole and sapreme director of all the affairs of the Catholics. You will likewise perceive that he held intelligence with cardinal Norfolk, with Father Sheldon, and the pope's internuncio at Brussels, And I cannot but observe out of the proofs, that as we shall find Mr. Coleman very ambitious and forward in all great affairs, so he had a little too much eye to the reward; he looked too much a-squint upon the matter of money: his great endeavours were not so much out of conscience, or out of zeal to his religion, as out of temporal interest; to him gain was instead of godliness. And by his let ters to the French confessor M. La Chaise, it will be proved, that he got much money from the Catholics here, and some from abroad, but still he wanted money. What to do? (I dc not mean the greater sum of 200,000l. to pro cure the dissolution of the parliament, bu some 20,000l. only) to be expended by bin in secret service, I do not know what ac count he would have given of it, if he ha been intrusted with it. But that he earnestly thirsted after money, appeareth by most of bi letters. My lord, you will observe, besides his in telligences, that he had with father La Chaise and several others, one that deserves to be named, and that is his negociation with si William Frogmorton, who was sent over int France, and there resided a long time to pro mote these designs. He is dead; therefor I will not say much of him, as I would sa against him, if he was here to be tried. But my lord, I find in his letters such treasonable such impious expressions against the king, suc undutiful characters of him, that no good sub ject would write, and no good subject woul receive and conceal, as Mr. Coleman hat! done. My lord, it may pass for a wonder how we came to be masters of all these pa pers; it has in part been told you already. There was an information given of the ge neral design, nay of some of the particular against the king's life. And without all peradFeature, Mr. Coleman knew of this discovery; and he knew that he had papers that could peak too much, and he had time and opportunity enough to have made them away, and I make ao question but he did make many away. We are not able to prove the contitance of his correspondence, so as to make it clearly out; but we suppose that continued til the day he was seized. And there is this to be proved, that letters came for him, though we cannot say any were delivered to him, after he was in prison. But without all peradventure the man had too much to do, too many papers to conceal: then, you'll say, he might have burnt them all (for many would barn as well as a few :) But then he had lost much of the honour of a great statesman; many a fine sentence, and many a deep intrigue had been lost to all posterity. I believe that we owe this discovery to something of Mr. Coleman's vanity: he would not lose the glory of managing these important negociations about so great a design: He thought it was no small reputation to be intrusted with the secrets of foreign ministers. If this was not his reason, God (I believe) took away from him that clearbess of judgment, and strength of memory, which he had upon other occasions. My lord, I shall no longer detain you from reading the papers themselves. But I cannot bet account this kingdom happy, that these papers are preserved. For (my lord) we are to deal with a sort of men, that have that prodigious confidence, that their words and deeds (though proved by never so unsuspected testimony) they will still deny. But (my lord) no denial of this plot will prevail, for Mr. Coleman himself bath, with his own hand, recorded this conspiracy: and we can prove his hand, not only by his own servants, and relations, but by his own confession. So that (my Lord) I doubt not, that if there be any of their own party that hear this trial, they themselves will be satisfied with the truth of these things. And I believe we have an advantage in this case, which they will not allow us, in another matter; namely, that we shall be for this once permitted to believe our own senses. Our Evidence consisteth of two parts: one is, wit nesses vita voce, which we desire (with the favour of the court) to begin with; and when that is done, we shall read several letters or aegociations, in writing, and so submit the whole to your lordship's direction. Pris. I beg leave that a poor ignorant man, that is so heavily charged, that it seems a little unequal to consider the reason, why a prisoner, in such a case as this is, is not allowed counsel; bat your lordship is supposed to be counsel for him. But I think it very hard I cannot be admitted counsel; and I humbly hope your lordship will not suffer me to be lost by things that myself cannot answer. I deny the conclusion, but the premises are too strong and artificial, Sir William Scroggs L. C. J. You cannot deny the premises, but that you have done these things: but you deny the conclusion, that you are a traitor? Pris. I can safely and honestly. L. C. J. You would make a better Secre tary of State, than a Logician; for they never deny the conclusion. Pris. I grant it your Lordship: you see the advantage great men have of me, that do not pretend to Legic. L. C. J. The labour lies upon their hands; the proof belongs to them to make out these intrigues of yours; therefore you need not have counsel, because the proof must be plain upon you, and then it will be in vain to deny the conclusion. Pris. I hope, my lord, if there be any point. of law that I am not skilled in, that your lordship will be pleased not to take the advantage over me. Another thing seems most dreadful, that is, the violent prejudice that seems to be against every man in England, that is confessed to be a Roman Catholic. It is possible that a Roman Catholic may be very innocent of these crimes. If one of those innocent Roman Catholics should come to this bar, he lies under such disadvantages already, and his prejudices so greatly biasseth human nature, that unless your lordship will lean extremely much on the other side, justice will hardly stand upright, and lie upon a level. But to satisfy your lordship, I do not think it any service to destroy any of the king's subjects, unless it be in a very plain case. L. C. J. You need not make any preparations for us in this matter, you shall have a fair, just, and legal trial: if condemned, it will be apparent you ought to be so; and without a fair proof, there shall be no condemnation. Therefore you shall find, we will not do to you, as you do to us, blow up at adventure, kill people because they are not of your persuasion; our religion teacheth us another doctrine, and you shall find it clearly to your advantage. We seek no man's blood but our own safety. But you are brought here from the necessity of things, which yourselves have made; and from your own actions you shall be condemned or acquitted. Pris. It is supposed upon Evidence, that the Examinations that have been of me in prison, are like to be evidence against me now; I have nothing to say against it: but give me leave to say at this time, that when I was in prison, I was upon my ingenuity charged; I * See the character of this Chief Justice as drawn by Burnet, ante vol. 6, p. 1425. And what opinion the House of Commons had of him by their votes Dec. 25, 1680. See 'Cobbett's Parl. Hist. vol. 4. And see more of him in a note to the trial of Mrs. Cellier for High Treason, June 21, 1680, infra. † See the Note to Don Pantaleon Sa's Case, ante, vol. 4, p. 466, and that to Twyn's Case, ante, vol. 6, p. 513. promised I would confess all I knew. And I only say this, That what I said in prison is true, and am ready at any time to swear and evidence, that that is all the truth. L. C. J. It is all true that you say; but did you tell all that was true? Pris. I know no more, than what I declared to the two Houses. L. C. J. Mr. Coleman, I will tell you when you will be apt to gain credit in this matter: you say, that you told all things that you knew, the truth, and the whole truth. Can mankind be persuaded, that you, that had this negociation in 1674 and 1675, left off just then, at that time when your letters were found according to their dates? do you believe, there was no negociation after 1675, because we have not found them? have you spoke one word to that? have you confessed, or produced those papers and weekly intelligence? when you answer that, you may have credit; without that, it is impossible: for I cannot give credit to one word you say unless you give an account of the subsequent negociation. Pris. After that time (as I said to the House of Commons) I did give over corresponding. I did offer to take all oaths and tests in the world, that I never had one letter for at least two years; yea, (that I may keep myself within compass) I think it was for three or four. Now I have acknowledged to the House of Commons, I have had a cursory correspondence, which I never regarded or valued; but as the letters came, I burnt them, or made use of them as common paper. I say, that for the general correspondence I have had for two or three years, they have had every one of them letters that I know of. Att. Gen. Whether you had or no, you shall have the fairest trial that can be. And we cannot blame the gentleman, for he is more used to greater affairs, than these matters or forms of law. But my Lord, I desire to go unto evidence, and when that is done, he shall be heard, as long as he pleaseth, without any interruption. If he desire it, before I give my evidence, let him have Pen, Ink, and Paper with your lordship's leave. at stake: let him be condemned by truth; you have taken an oath, and you being a minister know the great regard you ought to have of the sacredness of an oath; and that to take a man's life away by a false oath is murder, I need not teach you that. But that Mr. Coleman may be satisfied in the trial, and all people else be satisfied, there is nothing required or expected, but downright plain truth, and without any arts either to conceal, or expatiate, to make things larger than in truth they are: he must be condemned by plain evidence of fact. Oates. My Lord, Mr. Coleinan, in the month of November last, did entertain in his own house John Keins, which John Keins was a Father-Confessor to certain persons that were converted, amongst which I was one. My Lord, I went and visited this John Keins at Mr. Coleman's house then in Stable-yard. Mr. Coleman inquiring of John Keius who I was? He said I was one that designed to go over upon business to St. Omers. My Lord, Mr. Coleman told me then he should trouble me with a letter or two to St. Omers, but he told me he would leave them with one Fenwick, that was procurator for the society of Jesuits in London. I went on Monday morning and took couch, went to Dover, and had his packet with me, which packet when I came to St. Omers I opened, The outside sheet of this paper was a letter of news which was called Mr. Coleman's letter, and at the bottom of this letter there was this recommendation, Pray recommend me to my. kinsman Playford. In this letter of news there were expressions of the king, calling him tyrant, and that the marriage between the prince of Orange and the lady Mary the duke of York's eldest daughter would prove the traitor's and tyrant's ruin. L. C. J. In what language was it written? Outes. It was directed to the Rector of St Omers, to give him intelligence how affairs wen in England. L. C. J. Did you break it open? Oates. I was at the opening of it, and saw it and read it. There was a letter to Father La L. C. J. Help him to pen, ink, and paper. Chaise, which was superscribed by the same Record. Then we desire to go on in our evi-hand that the treasonable letter of news was dence. We desire that Mr. Oates may not be interrupted. Court. He shall not be interrupted. Att. Gen. The first thing we will inquire, what account he can give of the prisoner at the bar, whether he was any way privy to the murder of the king? written, and the same hand that the recommend ation to Playford was written in. When this letter was open there was a seal fixt, a flying seal, and no man's name to it. L. C. J. What was the contents of that let ter to La Chaise? Oates. My Lord, to give you an account o L. C. J. Mr. Oates, we leave it to yourself the import of this letter, it was writ in Latin to take your own way, and your own method: and in it there were thanks given to Father L only this we say, here's a gentleman stands at Chaise for the 10,000l. which was given for the the bar, for his life; and on the other side, the propagation of the Catholic Religion, and tha king is concerned for his life you are to speak it should be employed for no other intent an the truth and the whole truth; for there is no purpose but that for which it was sent, now tha reason in the world that you should add any was to cut off the king of England; those word one thing that is false. I would not have a tit-were not in that letter, but La Chaise letter tle added for any advantage, or consequences to which this was the answer, I saw and read that may fall, when a man's blood and life lieth It was dated the month of August, and as nea L.C.J. Was it subscribed Coleman? Outes. It was not subscribed; I did not see him write it, but I really believe it was by the same hand. I went and delivered this letter. L.C.J. I understood you because of the accident of his hand he had employed Mr. Coleman to write this for him. Oates. He did write this letter then, the body of the letter was written by Mr. Coleman. I did not see him write it, but I shall give an account bow I can prove he wrote it. I delivered this Letter to La Chaise his own hand. When I opened the letter he asked me how 2 gentleman (naming a French name) did do. meant? Oates. He told me he was sometime secretary to the dutchess of York, which I understood to be Mr. Coleman. I stuck at it, and when he said he was sometime secretary to the dutchess of York, I spoke in Latin to him, and asked whether he meant Mr. Coleman, and his answer I cannot remember. He sends an answer to this letter. I brought it to St. Omers and there it was inclosed in the letter from the society to Coleman; wherein the society expressly told bim this letter was delivered and acknowledged. I saw the letter at St. Oiners, and the letter was sent to him. VOL. VII. Mr. Coleman did acknowledge the receipt of this letter from La Chaise in the same hand with that of the news letter, and so it was understood by all. I saw it. L. C. J. How came you to see it? Oales. I by a patent from them was of the consult. L. C. J. You saw the letter of the same hand which the news letter was of with Mr. Coleman's name subscribed? Oates. The contents of the letter did own the letter from La Chaise was received; this letter was presumed to be the hand-writing of Mr. Coleman, and it was understood to be Mr. Coleman's letter. L. C. J. You say the letter was thanks for the 10,000l. what was the other contents? Outes. That all endeavours should be used to cut off the Protestant Religion root and branch. L. C. J. You say you delivered this letter, from whom had you it? Oates. From Fenwick, it was left in his hand, and he accompanied me from Groves to the coach, and gave it to me, L. C. J. Did you hear him speak to Mr. Coleman to write for him? Oates. Strange told me he had spoke to him. L. C. J. He doth suppose it was Mr. Cole man's hand because it was just the same band that the news letter was. Are you sure the letter was of his hand? Oates. It was taken for his hand. there? Had he such a kinsman Oates. Yes, he hath confessed it. Att. Gen. We desire your lordship he may give an account of the consult here in May last, and how far Mr. Coleman was privy to the murdering of the king. Oates. In the month of April old style in the month of May new stile, there was a consult held, it was begun at the WhiteHorse Tavern, it did not continue there. After that there they had consulted to send one Father Cary to be agent and procurator to Rome, they did adjourn themselves to several clubs in companies; some met at Wild-House, and some at Harcourt's lodging in Duke-street some met at Ireland's lodging in Russel-street; and some in Fenwick's lodging in Drury-Lane. They were ordered to meet by virtue of a brief from Rome, sent by the Father general of the society: They went on to these resolves, that Pickering and Groves should go on and continue in attempting to assassinate the king's person by shooting, or other means. Groves was to have 1,500l. Pickering being a religious man was to have 30,000 Masses, which at 12d, a mass amounted much what to that money, This resolve of the Jesuits was communicated to Mr. Coleman in my hearing at Wild-House. My Lord, this was not only so, but in several letters be did mention it; and in one letter (I think I was gone a few miles out of London) he sent to me by a messenger, and did desira C the duke might be trepanned into this Plot to murder the king. L. C. J. How did he desire it? Oates. In a letter, that all means should be used for the drawing in the duke. This letter was written to one Ireland. I saw the Letter and read it. L. C. J. How do you know it was his letter? Oates. Because of the instructions, which I saw Mr. Coleman take a copy of and write, which was the same hand with the news letter, and what else I bave mentioned, the subscription was, Recommend me to Father La Chaise?' and it was the same hand whereof I now speak. L. C. J. What was the substance of the Letter? Jury. Yes. Att. Gen. What do you know of any rebellion to have been raised in Ireland? and what was to be done with the duke of Ormond? Oates. In the month of August there was a consult with the jesuits, and with the Benedictine monks at the Savoy. In this month of August there was a letter writ from archbishop Talbot, the titular archbishop of Dublin; wherein he gave an account of a legate from the pope, an Italian bishop, (the bishop of Cassay I think) who asserted the pope's right to the kingdom of Ireland. In this letter (to mention in special) there were four jesuits had con trived to dispatch the duke of Ormond, these were his words, To find the most expedient way for his death,' and Fogarthy was to be sent to do it by poison, if these four good Fathers did not hit of their design. My Lord, Fogarthy was present. And when the consult was almost at a period, Mr. Coleman came to the Savoy to the consult, and was mighty forward to have Father Fogarthy sent to Ireland to dispatch the Duke by poison. This letter did specify they were there ready to rise in ebcllion against the king for the pope. Att. Gen. Do you know any thing of arms? Oates. There were 40,000 black bills, I am 'not so skilful in arms to know what they meant (military men know what they are) that were provided to be sent into Ireland; but they were ready for the use of the catholic party. Oates. That letter doth not mention who they were provided by, but another letter mentioned they were provided by those that were commission officers for the aid and help of the pope; the popish commissioners they were provided by, and they had them ready in Ireland. L. C. J. Who wrote this letter? Oates. It came from Talbot, I might forget the day of the month because my information is so large, but it was the former part of the year, I think either January or February, 1667-8, last January or February. L. C. J. Was this consult but in August last? Oates. I am forced to run back from that consult to this; Mr. Coleman was privy, and was the main agent, and did in the month of August last past say to Fenwick, he had found a way to transmit the 200,000l. for the carrying on of this rebellion in Ireland. L. C.J. Did you hear him say so? L. C. J. You say he was very forward to send Fogarthy into Ireland to kill the duke of Ormond? Oates. Yes, that I say; and that he had found a way to transmit 200,000l. to carry on the rebellion in Ireland. Court. Who was by besides Fenwick ? Outes. In Fenwick's chamber in Drurylane. Att. Gen. Do you know any thing of transmitting the money to Windsor, or persuading any to be sent thither, and the time when? Oates. In the month of August there were four ruffians procured by Dr. Fogarthy. These four were not nominated in the consult with the Benedictine Convent, but, my Lord, these four ruffians without names were accepted of by them. Court. Who proposed them? Oates. Fogarthy. These four Irishmen were sent that night to Windsor. How they went I know not, but the next day there was a provision of 80%. ordered to them by the rector of London, which is a jesuit, one William Harcourt, in the name of the provincial, because he acted in his name and authority, the provincial being then beyond the seas, visiting his colleges in Flanders. L. C. J. Did he order the 801. Oates. Mr. Coleman came to this Harcourt's house, then lying in Duke street, and Harcourt was not within; but he was directed to come to Wild-house, and at Wild-house he found Harcourt. L. C. J. How do you know that? Oates. He said he had been at his house, and was not within; finding him at Wild-house, he asked what care was taken for those four |