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Cl. of Cr. Edward Coleman, hold up thy hand. Thou hast been indicted of high treason, thou hast thereunto pleaded Not Guilty; thou hast put thyself upon God and thy country, which country hath found thee Guilty; What canst thou say for thyself, wherefore judgment of death should not be given against thee, and an execution awarded according to law?

Mr. Coleman May it please you, my lord, I have this to say for myself; As for my papers, I humbly hope, (setting aside Oral Testimony) that I should not have been found guilty of any crime in them, but what the act of grace | would have pardoned, and I hope I shall have the benefit of that; The evidence against me, namely Oral, I do humbly beg that you would be pleased to give me a little time to shew you, how impossible it is that those testimonies should be true; For that testimony of Mr. Oates in August, my man, that is now either in the court or hall, hath gotten a book that is able to make it appear, that I was out of town from the 15th of August to the 31st of August late at night.

L. C. J. That will not do, Mr. Coleman. Coleman. I do humbly offer this, for this reason; because Mr. Oates, in all his other evidences, was so punctual, as to distinguish between Old Stile and New, he never missed the month, hardly the week, and oftentimes put the very day; for his testimony that he gave against me, was, that it was the 21st of August.

L. C. J. He thought so, but he was not positive, but only as to the month.

council (and I believe the king himself remem
bers it) when I was examined, that he did no
know me, that be knew nothing of me, so the
here is two things against this witness that ca
hardly happen again. My circumstances an
extraordinary, and it is a great providence, au
I think your lordship and the whole world wi
look upon it as such, if for any crimes that an
in my papers, if there be any mercy to be shew
ed me by the king's gracious act of pardon,
humbly beg that I may have it.
L. C. J. None.

Coleman. If none, I do humbly submit; bu I do humbly hope with submission, that thos papers would not have been found treasonabl papers.

L. C. J. Those letters of yours, Mr. Cole man, were since the act of pardon; your paper bear date 1671, 1675, and there hath been n act since. But as for what you say concerning Mr. Oates, you say it in vain now, Mr. Cole mon, for the jury hath given in their verdict and it is not now to be said, for after that rate we shall have no end of any man's trial; bu for your satisfaction, Mr. Coleman, to the best of my remembrance, Mr. Gates was positive only as to the month of August, he thought it might be about the 21st day, or about Bartholo mew fair time; but he was absolute in nothing but the month.

Coleman. He was punctual in all his other evidences, but in this he was not; and when I was examined at the council table, he said he knew little of me.

L. C. J. He charged you positively for havColeman. He was certain it was the latter ing held conspiracy to poison the king; and end of August, and that about Bartholomew-that there was 10,0001. to be paid for it, and tide.

L. C. J. He conceived so, he thought so. Coleman. Now if I was always out of town from the 15th day of August, to the Sist late at night, it is theo impossible, my lord, that should be a true testimony. Your lordship was pleased to observe, that it would much enervate any man's testimony, to the whole, if he could be proved false in any one thing. I have further in this matter to say, besides my man's testimany, the king hath, since I have been seized on, seized on my papers and my book of accounts, where I used punctually to set down where I spent my money; and if it doth not appear by that book that I was all those days and times, and several other days in August, to be out of town, I desire no favour. You cannot suppose, my lord, nor the world be lieve, that I prepared that book for this purpose in tt is matter; and I can make it appear by others, if I had time; but I only offer this to your lordship, that seeing Mr. Oates did name so many particulars and circumstances, it is very stange, that he should fail in a particular of such importance as about killing the king; and no man living of common sense would think or believe that I should speak about such a thing in company that I did not well know, and this to be done frequently and oftentimes, as he asserts it; when Oates seemed to the king and

afterwards there was 5,000l. more to be added and be positively charges you to be the person that amongst all the conspirators was reputed to pay the 5,000%.

Coleman. He said it after such a fashion.

L. C. J. He said it after such a fashion that sir Robert Southwell and sir Thomas Doleman satisfed us that he did the thing, and that plainly to his understanding; and what say you | he said? Coleman. That he did not know me. L. C. J. Neither of them say so, that be said he did not know you, they deny it. Coleman. He said so, upon my death. L. C. J. It is in vain to dispute it further there must be an end.

Crier, make O Yes! Our sovereign lord the king doth straitly charge and command all per sons to keep silence while Judgment is giver upon the prisoner coaviet, upon pain of impri sonment.

L. C. J. You are found guilty, Mr Cele man, of high treason, and the cries are seve ral that you are found guilty of. You are foun guilty of conspiring the death, of the king; yo "are likewise found grin of endeavouring t subvert the Protestant religion as it is by la established, and to bring in popery, and this bo the aid and assistance of foreign towers. I would not have you, Mr. Colem :0, in you

An

last apprehension of things, to go out of the world with a mistake, if I could help it; that is, I would not have you think, that though you only seem to disavow the matter of the death of the king, that therefore you should think yourself an innocent man. You are not innocent, I am sure; for it is apparent by that which cannot deceive, that you are guilty of contriving and conspiring the destruction of the Protestant religion, and to bring in Popery, and that by the aid and assistance of foreign powers, and this no man can free you in the least from. And know, that if it should be true, that you world disavow, that you had not an actual hand in the contrivance of the king's death (which two witnesses have sworn positively against you): Yet he that will subvert the Protestant religion here, and bring in consequently a foreign authority, does an act in derogation of the crown, and in diminution of the king's title and sovereign power, and endeavours to bring a foreign dotainion both over our consciences and estates. And if any man shall endeavour to bvert our religion to bring in that, though he did not actually contrive to do it by the death of the king, or it may be not by the death of any one man, yet whatsoever follows upon that contrivance, he is guilty of; insomuch it is greatly to be feared, that though you meant only to bring it in by the way of dissolving of parliaments, or by liberty of conscience, and such kind of innocent ways as you thought; yet if so be those means should not have proved effectual, and worse should have been taken (though by others of your confederates) for to go through with the work, as we have great reason to believe there would, you are guilty of all that blood that would have followed. But still you say you did not design that thing; but to tell you, he that doth a sinful and unlawful act, must answer, and is liable both to God and man, for all the consequences that attend it, therefore I say you ought not to think yourself innocent. It is possible you may be penitent, and nothing remains but that. And as I think in your church you allow of a thing called attrition, if you cannot with our church have contrition, which is a sorrow proceeding from love, pray make use of attrition, which is a sorrow arising from fear. For you may assure yourself, there are but a few moments betwixt you and a vast eternity where will be no dallying, no arts to be used, therefore think on all the good you can do in this litle space of time that is left you; all is little enough to wipe off (besides your private and secret offences) even your public ones. I do know that confession is very much owned in your church, and you do well in it; bot as your offence is public, so should your confession be; and it will do you more service than all your auricular confessions. Were I in your case, there should be nothing at the bottom of my heart that I would not disclose. Perchance you may be deluded with the fond hopes of having your sentence respited. Trust not to i, Mr Coleman. You may be flattered to

stop your mouth, till they have stopped your breath, and I doubt you will find that to be the event. I think it becomes you as a man, and as a christian, to do all that is now in your power, since you cannot be white, to make yourself as clean as you can, and to fit yourself for another world, where you will see how vain all resolu tions of obstinacy, of concealment, and all that sort of bravery which perhaps may be instilled by some men, will prove. They will not then serve to lessen, but they will add to your fault. It concerns us no farther than for your own good, and do as God shall direct you; for the truth is, there are persuasions and inducements in your church to such kind of resolutions and such kind of actions, which you are led into by false principles and false doctrines (and so you will find when you come once to experiment it, as shortly you will) that hardly the religion of a Turk would own. But when Christians by any violent bloody act attempt to propagate religion, they abuse both their disciples and religion too, aud change that way that Christ himself taught us to follow him by. It was not by blood or violence; by no single man's undertaking to dis turb and to alter governments; to make hurlyburlies, and all the inischiefs that attend such things as these are.

For a church to persuade men even to the committing of the highest violences under a pretence of doing God good service, looks not (in my opinion) like religion, but design; like an engine, not a holy institution; artificial as a clock, which follows not the sun but the setter; goes not according to the bible, but the priest, whose interpretations serve their par. ticular ends, and those private advantages which true religion, would scorn, and naturel religion itself would not endure. I have, Mr. Coleman, said thus much to you as you are a christian, and as I am one, and I do it out of great charity and compassion, and with great sense and sorrow that you should be misled to these great offences under pretence of religion. But seeing you have but a little time, I would have you make use of it to your best advantage; for I tell you, that though death may be talked of at a distance in a brave heroic way, yet when a man once comes to the minute, death is a very serious thing; then you will consider how trifling all plots and contrivances are, and to how little purpose is all your concealments. I only offer these things to your thoughts, and perhaps they may better go down at such a time as this is than at another; and if they have no effect upon you, I hope they will have some as to my own particular, in that I have done my good will. I do remember you once more, that in this matter you be not deluded with any fantastic hopes and expectations of a pardon, for the truth is, Mr. Coleman, you will be deceived; therefore set your heart at rest, for we are at this time in such disorders, and the people so continually alarmed either with secret murders, or some outrages and violences that are this day on foot, that though the king, who is full of mercy almost

to a fault, yet if he should be inclined that way I verily believe both Houses would interpose between that and you. I speak this to shake off all vain hopes from you; for I tell you, I verily believe they would not you should have any twig to hold by to deceive you: so that now you may look upon it, there is nothing will save you, for you will assuredly die as now you live, and that very suddenly. In which I having discharged my conscience to you as a christian, I will now proceed to pronounce Sentence against you, and do my duty as a judge. You shall return to prison, from thence to be drawn to the place of execution, where you shall be hanged by the neck, and be cut down alive, your bowels burnt before your face, and your quarters severed, and your body disposed of as the king thinks fit; and so the Lord have mercy upon your soul.

to the Church of Rome, no not one, but to b saved; if I am out of the way, I am out of th way, as to the next world as well as this; I hav nothing but a sincere conscience, and I desir to follow it as I ought. I do confess I an guilty of many crimes, and I am afraid allo us are guilty in some measure, or some failing and infirmities; but in matters of this natur that I now stand condemned for, though I d not at all complain of the court; for I do con fess I have had all the fair play imaginable, an I have nothing at all to say against it; but say as to any one act of mine, so far as act require intention to make them acts, as all hu man acts do, I am as innocent of any crim that I now stand charged as guilty of, as whe I was first born.

L. C. J. That is not possible.

Coleman. With submission, I do not say in nocent as to any crime in going against any act of parliament, then it is a crime to hear inass, or to do any act that they prohibit; bu for intending and endeavouring to bring in that religion by the aid and assistance of the king of France, I never intended nor meant by that aid and assistance, any force in the world, but such aids and assistances as might procure us liberty of conscience. My lord, if in what I have said nobody believes me, I must be content; if any do believe me, then I have wiped off those scandalous thoughts and abominable crimes, that, &c. and then I have paid a little debt to truth.

Coleman. My lord, I humbly thank your lordship, and I do admire your charity, that you would be pleased to give me this admirable counsel, and I will follow it as well as I can, and I beg your lordship to hear me what I am going to say: Your lordship, most christianlike, hath observed wisely, that confession is extremely necessary to a dying man, and I do so too; but that confession your lordship I suppose means, is of a guilty evil conscience in any of these points that I am condemned for, Of maliciously contriving,' &c. If I thought I had any such guilt, I should assuredly think myself damned now I am going out of the world by concealing them, in spite of L. C. J. One word more, and I have done. all pardons or indulgences, or any act that the I am sorry, Mr. Coleman, that I have not Pope or the Church of Rome could do for me, charity enough to believe the words of a dying as I believe any one article of faith. Therefore man; for I will tell you what sticks with me pray hear the words of a dying man; I have very much: I cannot be persuaded, and nomade a resolution, I thank God, not to tell a body can, but that your Correspondence and lie, no not a single lie, not to save my life. I Negociations did continue longer than the Lethope God will not so far leave me as to let me ters that we have found, that is, after 1675. do it; and I do renounce all manner of mercy Now if you had come and shown us your Books that God can shew me, if I have not told the and Letters, which would have spoke for themHouse of Commons, or offered it to the House selves, I should have thought then that you of Commons, all that I know in my whole heart had dealt plainly and sincerely, and it would toward this business; and I never in all my life have been a mighty motive to have believed either made any proposition, or received any the rest; for certainly your correspondence proposition, or knew or heard directly or in-held even to the time of your apprehension, directly of any proposition towards the supplanting or invading the king's life, crown or dignity, or to make any invasion or disturbance to introduce any new government, or to bring in popery by any violence or force in the world; if I have, my lord, been mistaken in my method, as I will not say but I might have been; for if two men differ, one must be mistaken; therefore possibly I might be of an opinion, that popery might come in if liberty of conscience had been granted; and perhaps all Christians are bound to wish all people of that religion that they profess themselves, if they are in earnest : I will not dispute those ills that your lordship may unagine to be in the Church of Rome; if I thought there was any in them, I would be sure to be none of it. I have no design, my lord, at all in religion but to be saved; and I had no manner of invitation to invite me

and you have not discovered so much as one paper, but what was found unknown to you, and against your will.

Coleman. Upon the words of a dying man, and upon the expectation I have of salvation, I tell your lordship, that there is not a book nor a paper in the world that I have laid aside voluntarily.

L. C. J. No, perhaps you have burnt them.
Coleman. Not by the living God.

L. C. J. I hope, Mr. Coleman, you will not say no manner of way.

Coleman. For my correspondence these two last years past, I have given an account of every letter; but those that were common letters, and those books that were in my house, what became of them I know not; they were common letters that I used to write every day, a common journal what past at home and,

abroad. My men they writ them out of that | done with caution and prudence. Remember book.

LC. J. What became of those letters? Coleman. I had no letters about this busi ness, but what I have declared to the House of Commons, that is, letters from St. Germans, which I owned to the House of Commons; and I had no methodical correspondence, and I never valued them nor regarded them, but as they came I destroyed them.

L. C. J. I remember the last letter that is given in evidence against you, discovers what mighty hopes there was, that the time was now come wherein that pestilent heresy, that bath domineered in this northern part of the world, should be extirpated; and that there never was greater hopes of it since our queen Mary's reign, Pray, Mr. Coleman, was that the concluding letter in this affair?

Coleman. Give me leave to say it upon the word of a dying man, I have not one letter, &c. LC. J. What though you burnt your letters, you may recollect the contents.

Coleman. I had none since

L. C.J. Between God and your conscience be it, I have other apprehensions; and you deserve your Sentence upon you for your of fences, that visibly appear out of your own papers, that you do not, and cannot deny.

Coleman. I am satisfied. But seeing my time is but short, may I not be permitted to have some immediate friends, and my poor wife to have her freedom to speak with me, and stay with me that little time that I have, that I might speak something to her in order to her living and my dying?

L. C. J. You say well, and it is a hard case to deny it; but I tell you what hardens my heart, the insolencies of your party (the Roman Catholics I mean) that they every day offer, which is indeed a proof of their Plot, that they are so bold and impudent, and such secret murders committed by them, as would harden any man's heart to do the common favours of justice and charity, that to mankind are usually done: they are so bold and insolent, that I think it is not to be endured in a Protestant kingdom; but for my own particular, I think it is a very hard thing for to deny a man the company of his wife, and his friends, so it be

that the Plot is on foot, and I do not know what arts the priests have, and what tricks they use; and therefore have a care that no papers, nor any such thing, be sent from him. Coleman. I do not design it, I am sure.

L. C. J. But for the company of his wife and his near friends; or any thing in that kind, that may be for his eternal good, and as much for his present satisfaction that he can receive now in the condition that he is in, let him have it; but do it with care and caution.

Capt. Richardson. What, for them to be private alone?

L. C. J. His wife, only she, God forbid else. Nor shall you be denied any Protestant minister. Coleman. But shall not my cousin Coleman have liberty to come to me?

L. C. J. Yes, with Mr. Richardson. Coleman. Or his servant; because it is a great trouble for him to attend always.

L. C. J. If it be his servant, or any he shall appoint, it is all one. Mr. Richardson, use him as reasonably as may be, considering the condition he is in.

Cler. Cr. Have a care of your prisoner.

On Tuesday the 3d of December following, Edward Coleman was drawn on a sledge from Newgate to Tyburn; and being come thither, be declared that he had been a Roman Catholic for many years, and that he thanked God he died in that religion, and he did not think that religion at all prejudicial to the king and government.

The Sheriff told him, if he had any thing to say by way of confession or contrition, he might proceed, otherwise it was not seasonable for him to go on with such like expressions. Being asked if he knew any thing of the murder of sir Edmund. Godfrey, he declared upon the words of a dying man, he knew not any thing of it, for that he was a prisoner at that time. Then after some private prayers and ejaculations to himself, the sentence was executed.

He had been made to believe, that he should have a pardon, which he depended on with so much assurance, that a little before he was turned off, finding himself deceived, he was heard to say, There is no faith in man.'

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245. The Trial of WILLIAM IRELAND, THOMAS PICKERING, and JOHN GROVE, at the Old Bailey, for High Treason: 30 CHARLES II. A. D. 1678.*

did. Thomas Pickering, hold up thy band: Which he did. John Grove, hold up thy hand; Which he did.

ON Tuesday the 17th day of December, 1678, Thomas White alias Whitebread, Wm. Ireland, John Fenwick, Thomas Pickering and John Grove, were brought from his majesty's gaol of You stand indicted by the names of Thomas Newgate to the Sessions-house at Justice-Hall White alias Whitebread, late of the parish of in the Old Bailey, being there indicted for High | St. Giles in the fields, in the county of MiddleTreason, for contriving and conspiring to mur-sex, clerk: William Ireland, late of the same der the king, to receive their trial; and the parish and county, clerk: John Fenwick, late Court proceeded thereupon as followeth: of the same parish and county, clerk: Thomas The Court being sat, proclamation was made Pickering, late of the same parish and county, for attendance, thus: clerk and John Grove, late of the same parish and county, gent. For that you five, as false traitors, &c. against the peace of our sovereign lord the king, his crown and dignity, and against the form of the statute in that case made and provided. How sayest thou, Thomas White alias Whitebread, art thou Guilty of this High Treason whereof thou standest indicted, or Not Guilty?

Clerk of Crown. Crier, make proclamation. Crier. O yes, O yes, O yes! All manner of persons that have any thing to do at this general sessions of the peace, sessions of Oyer and Terminer holden for the city of London, and gaol-delivery of Newgate, holden for the city of London and county of Middlesex, draw near and give your attendauce, for now the Court will proceed to the pleas of the crown for the same city and county. God save the king.

Whitebread. Not Guilty.
Cl. of Cr. Culprit, how wilt thou be tried?
Whitebread. By God and my Country.
Cl. of Cr. God send thee a good deliver-
How sayest thou, William Ireland, art
thon Guilty of the same High Treason, or Not
Guilty?

Cl. of Cr. Crier, make proclamation. Crier. O yes! All manner of persons are commanded to keep silence upon pain of impri-ance. sonment. Peace about the Court.

Cl. of Cr. Crier, make proclamation. Crier. O yes! You good men of the county of Middlesex that are summoned to appear here this day, to enquire between our sovereign lord the king and the prisoners that are and shall be at the bar, answer to your names as you shall be called, every one at the first call, and save your issues.

The Jurors being called and the defaulters recorded, the Clerk of the Crown called for the prisoners to the bar, viz. Thomas White alias Whitebread, William Ireland, John Fenwick, Tho. Pickering and John Grove, and arraigned them thus:

Ireland. Not Guilty.
Cl. of Cr.
Ireland.

Cl. of Cr.

Culprit, how wilt thou be tried? By God and my Country.

Not Guilty.

God send thee a good deliverance. How sayest thou, John Fenwick, art thou Guilty of the same High Treason, or Not Guilty? Fenwick. Cl of Cr. Culprit, how wilt thou be tried? Fenwick. By God and my Country. Cl. of Cr. God send thee a good deliverance. How sayest thou, Thomas Pickering, art thou Guilty of the same High Treason, or Not

Cl. of Cr. Thomas White alias White-Guilty? bread, hold up thy hand: Which he did. William Ireland, hold up thy hand: Which he did. John Fenwick, hold up thy hand: Which he

Not Guilty.

Pickering. Cl. of Cr. Culprit, how wilt thou be tried? Pickering. By God and my Country. Cl. of Cr. God send thee a good deliverance. How sayest thou, John Grove, art thou Guilty of the same High Treason, or Not Guilty?

From a pamphlet, intitled: "The Trials of William Ireland, Thomas Pickering, and John Grove; for conspiring to Murder the King: who upon full evidence were found Guilty of High Treason, at the Sessions-House in the Old Bailey, December 17, 1678. And received Sentence accordingly. London, printed for Robert Pawlet at the Bible in Chancery-ance. lane, near Fleet-street, 1678. 'December 17 1678. I do appoint Robert Pawlet to print 'the Trials of William Ireland, Thomas Picker ⚫ing, and John Grove: And that no other · person presume to print the same. WILLIAM "SCROGGS.""

* See the Introduction to the Trials for the Popish Plot, ante, vol. 6, p. 1420.

Grove. Not Guilty. Cl. of Cr. Culprit, how wilt thou be tried? Grove. By God and my Country. Cl. of Cr. God send thee a good deliverYou the prisoners at the bar, those men that you shall hear called and do personally appear, are to pass between our sovereign lord he king and you, upon trial of your several ives and deaths; if therefore you or any of you will challenge them or any of them, your time is to speak unto them as they come to the book to be sworn, before they be sworn. Philip Matthews to the book."

Sir

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