Year of his Age, and was buried at Weminfer on the 6th of December following.

A. D. 1683, the two late Sheriffs, Pilkington and Shute, the Lord Gray of Wark, Sir Tho. Player, Mr. Cornifh, Mr. Bethel, and 8 more, were on the 26th of March indicted for a Riot, for continuing the Poll, after the Lord-Mayor had adjourned it on Midsummer-Day, as above-mentioned; and were all feverally fined for the fame.

In April following, one Broom, Coroner of the City, at the Suit of Papillon and Dubois, arrefted the Lord Mayor, the Sheriffs, and fome of the Aldermen, and for fome time detained them at Skinners-Hall; which being a ftrange Affront to Authority, might well caufe a great Confternation; but to prevent any Disorder, the Lieutenancy immediately affembled, and ordered all the Regiments of the Trained Bands to be mailed with all Speed: For this Sir William Pritchard afterwards fued Mr. Papillon (Mr. Dubais dying before it came to a Trial) and recovered 10,000 . Damages against him.

Thefe Proceedings in the City moved the King, that he might take away the Occafion of all Heats, to bring a Quo Warranto against the Charter, which was grounded upon fome Exactions in the Market, and the having levied a Tax upon the Citizens, for rebuilding the Conduits, &c. in which it was adjudged they exceeded the Bounds of their Charter; and thereupon in Trinity-Term, this Year, after long Pleadings on both fides in the Court of King's-Bench at Westminster Hall, the Court declared their Opinion, That the Liberties and Franchifes of the City of London be feized into the King's Hands.

After which the King appointed

the Magiftrates all the Time of his Reign, and till the Restoration of the Charter by King James, at the coming of the Prince of Orange.

The like Quo Warranto's were alfo brought againft all the other Corporations in the Kingdom, which by like Judgment were furrendred to the King.

A fatal Remedy for a flight Difeafe, and like cutting off an Arm to cure a fore Finger. A Faction among the People was indeed too bold: But the Generality of the Nation were fo paffionately affected to the King, that perhaps never had any Prince enjoyed a greater Share of his Peoples Love, which his Majefty could not be infenfible of; and therefore (to fay nothing of the IIlegality of the Act) 'tis very wonderful that a King fo applauded for his Clemency, could fo far forget the paternal Care of a Prince, as to permit (for the Faults of a few) his Authority to be made ufe of in laying the Ax to the very Root of all his Peoples Liberties; for it was no lefs, fince by this feizing the Franchifes of Corporations, the King was virtually poffeffed of the Power of chufing a large Majority of the Peoples Reprefentatives in Parliament; and by the Management of cunning Minifters, would foon have had the Power, if they could have the Will, to have repealed all thofe Laws which our Ancestors had obtained for the Security of our Liberties.

1683. Mayor, being the very Man that, by being conftituted a fpecial Bailiff for that Occafion, did arreft Sir William Pritchard in his Mayoralty, as above related; by which bold Piece of Service, and his former Activity, he obtained that Credit with the Party, that he was made a Confident in all their Councils, and was to have been one of the Forty that were to have affaffinated his Majefty. But it pleafed God to touch his Soul with the Horror of his Crime, fo that he could not reft, till after much Conflict in his Mind, he had refolved to difcover it; and accordingly, by the Advice of a Friend, addreffed himself to the Lord Dartmouth, who remitted him to Sir Lyonel Jenkins, Secretary of State; belore whom he depoled, That there was and had been, for fome Months paft, a horrid Confpiracy on Foot, for raifing a Rebellion or general Infurrection all over the Kingdom, and for taking away the Life of the King, and his Brother the Duke of York; whofe Evidence being corroborated by his Brothers, who had alfo been in the Cabals, Warrants were thereupon fued against the Confpirators, and many of them were taken and committed to Prifon, feveral of whom confeffed, and confirmed Keeling's Evidence, with a full and ample Relation of the whole Affair; thefe were Thomas Sheppard, a Merchant, at whofe Houfe fome of the Confults were held; Colonel John Rumfey, who had been a Soldier abroad, and fince a Dependent on the Earl of Shaftsbury, and was one of that Party that were for affaffinating the King Robert Weft, Bariiter at Law, who had been very active in this Defign, and had himself bought a Quantity of Arms to be used in it: Zac. Born, a Brewer, at whofe Houfe Ferguson lodged, and feveral

others; which, together with the Confeffions of thofe that were executed, do give fuch undeniable Proof of the Truth of the whole Relation, that there is no Room for Doubt. The Sum of the Evidence, in short, according to the Hiftory of this Confpiracy, written by the then Bifhop of Rochester, was thus:

This Defign was first fet on Foot after the late Election in London, which being carried fo contrary to their Expectation, had extreamly enraged the whole Party; and they were now refolved to get that by Force, which they had been so long endeavouring to obtain by Law. To which Purpofe the E. of Shaftsbury, the D. of Monmouth, &c. held frequent Confults for raifing a general Infurrection in London, and in fome diftant Countries, and by that Means feize the Guards, &c. And the 19th of Nov. was pitched upon to be the Day for this wicked Attempt; but it feems their Friends could not get ready fo foon, fo that nothing could at that Time be effected; the conning Lord Shaftsbury confidering that Delays were dangerous, and that it being imparted to so many, it was impoffible to be kept long fecret, thought fit to take care of himself, and flipt over into Holland; where not long after he ended his Days.

This hafty Flight of his at fir fomewhat damp'd them, but in a little Time they recover'd their Spirits, and renew'd their Confultations with great Vigour; and now it was agreed, that one Grand Council fhould be conftituted, and frequently held by the Chiefs of the Party, from whence Orders and Directions were to be iffued to the inferier Cabals; which Council fat the frê time about the middle of Januar 1682 3, and confulted upon Means for an Infurrection.

It feemed neceffary that Steind

alfo fhould be drawn into the common Concern, and the Difcontents and Divifions of that Kingdom being grown to a great Height, eafily made Way for a Coalition; and upon a Meffage fent to them, Sir John Cockrain, and others, came up to London, agreed to raife a Rebellion in Scotland, in Concert with that in England, if they might be furnished with a Sum of Money to enable them to it, which these did agree to and promife them.

The Earl of Argyll had promifed the fame before, when Shaftsbury first began the Defign; but they not making Halte enough, he was fain to retire to Holland, for Fear of being difcovered, having lately efcaped out of Edinburgh Castle, where he lay under Sentence of Condemnation for High Treafon, for refufing the Teft enjoyn'd by Act of Parliament made the laft Year, when the Duke of York was High Commiffioner there.

In thefe Confults and the inferior Cabals it was projected, That the City of London fhould be divided into twenty Parts, and each Divifion aflign'd to fome one principal Man of great Truft, Courage, and Conduct, and each of them to have Nine or Ten under him, who were to engage as many as they could by Infinuations against the Government, &c. and by this Means they hoped to provide ten thoufand Men, to affit them in their defperate Defign of feizing the King's Guards, the Tower, Whitehall, and Savoy, &c. For this Purpofe great Quantities of Arms were provided by feveral of the Confpirators, and certain Places of Rendezvous pitched upon, whence they might attack the abovementioned Places; an hundred old Oliverian Officers were to head the Infurrection, and thofe in the City were to be affilled with 500

Horfe from the neighbouring Counties; befides which, all the Horfes about the Town were to be feized in the Stables. The Tower was to be furprized by Stratagem; and Whitehall was to be attacked on all Sides, by a Party from the Strand, that were to feize the Guards and Meufe; by a Party from Westminster on that Side; and a Number of Seamen were to affault it with Granadoes from the Boats in the River. And at the fame Time a Party were to way lay the Road to Windsor, to feize the King, if he fled thither.

An Intereft was likewife made in the Country, and several confiderable Towns were promised to be fecured for them. Portsmouth was to have been furprized by Stratagem, and a Party in Bristol were to have fecured that City, with the Ships in the Haven. This was one Part of the Plot.

But another Party among them were not contented with this Way of compaffing their wicked Defigns, esteeming it too difficult and tedious, but were for a more compendious and expeditious Means, by affaffinating and murthering his Majelty and the Duke of York. This was briskly agitated in the inferior Cabals, and many Ways propofed to effect it. The chief Manager of it being one Richard Rumbald, a Maltter by Trade, a virulent Republican, and a moft barbarous Mifcreant; he with Ferguson, Walcot, Rumfey, &c. after much Confultation, and many Ways propos'd, at length agreed upon the following Manner of perpetrating this horrid Villany.

This Richard Rumbald lived in a lone Houfe called the Rye, about two Miles beyond Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire, which flood in the King's Road to Newmarket, it was moated round, and the Road there

but

1683. but narrow, having on one Side the Moat of this Houfe, and on the other a Hedge and Ditch. And this Houfe Rumbald propofed to be the Place for this barbarous Action, of fering himself to command the Party that fhould do the Work. The Convenient Situation of which was immediately approv'd by all, and determined to be the beft Place. The next Bufinefs was to provide' Men and Arms, and after fome Confultation, it was adjudged that Forty Men were neceffary, who were to be armed with Blunderbuffes, Mufkets, Carbines, and Piftols. Their Emiffaries therefore were now fent out to engage the moft hardy and trufty of their Friends, and they quickly made up a Roll of 40 Mifcreants, that promis'd to affift them in this devilish Attempt; and Arms for them were bought by Weft.

The Manner of doing this villanous Action, was to have been thus: When the King returned from New-market, fome were to go out into the Road, to give an Account what Company attended him, which were commonly but very few at that Place, for it being near Hod defdon, where the King took freth Guards, thofe of the former Stage were ufually tired before that Time, and lagged behind, fo that not above five or fix came into Hoddesdon. Notice being given of the King's Approach, the Affaffins were to iffue from the Houfe and Yard; fome were to overthrow a Cart in the narroweft Place to stop the Way, others were to fight the Guards, others were to fhoot the Coachman, Poftillion, and Horfes, whilft Rum bald and his Gang were to fire into his Majetty's Coach. This they fuppos'd feafible without much Oppofition.

The execrable Deed being done, they were, by back Ways over the

Field, to fly to London; where at the fame Time was to be made a grand Entertainment for the Heads of the Party, that they might be ready to head the Faction at the firft News.

It was to be declared to the People, That they should be eafed from Chimney-money, and have Toleration for Religion, which they thought would engage all the common People. And then for Money, it was agreed that half a Year's Revenue of the Chimney-money, which would be then due, together with what was in the Excife-Office and CustomHoufe, fhould be feized, and the Money and Plate in Lombard-freet be borrowed upon publick Faith.

But whilft with ftrange Pre umption and diabolical Remorfelefnets they are thus feeding their accuried Hopes, it pleafed God Almighty to defeat all their pernicious Counfels, by fuffering an aufpicious and mot providential Fire to break out at New market, the Flames of which having driven his Majefty out of his Palace, he removed to another Part of the Town, remote from the Fire, and the Annoyance of the Smoke, where he intended to flay till the Day he had at firft intended to return; but no fooner was he fettled there, but the Wind chang'd, and blew the Smoke and Cynders upon his Lodg ing, fo that he was forced imme ately to return to London, which be ing fome Days fooner than he intended, the Affaffins were not prepar'd at the Rye, and by that Mears his Majefty most happily escaped, and came fafe to London on the zo of March: But notwithstanding th Difappointment, they perfifted, and refolved to take the first Opport nity that offered. [Thus far cu Author.]

The first that was brought to Ti al for this Confpiracy, was Lieus

nant Colonel Tho. Walcot, who on the 12th of July was arraigned at the Seffions houfe in the Old Bailey, where Rumfey witneffed against him, that he was one of the Affaf fins that were to have killed the King at Rye; particularly, that he had undertaken to head the Party that was to fight the Guards. That he affifted in contriving the Infurrection alfo, and that he was at the Confult for buying Arms. Keeling fwore that he was prefent at a traiterous Affembly at the Salutation Tavern. Zach. Bourn, a Brewer, one of the Confpirators, at whofe Houfe Ferguson lodged, depofed, That Walcot was one that met at the Dragan on Snow bill, and other Places, in order to raise Men, and divide the City into twenty Parts, for an Infurrection to feize the King and the Duke. Weft depofed the fame Rumfey had done; and that he had been prefent at feveral treafonable Confults. Befides which, a Letter was produced that he fent to the Secretary, wherein he acknowledged himself guilty, and of fered to difcover, if he might have Pardon. So he was found guilty, and executed on the zoth of the fame Month.

The next that was tried, was William Hone, a Joyner. Against him Keeling and Weft depofed, that he was prefent at the Coufult for buying Arms, and had agreed to be one of the Affaffins at the Ryebeufe, which himfelf alfo had confeffed to Sir Nicholas Butler and Cap. tain Richardson; alfo the Jury found him guilty without going from the Bar; and at his Execution he again Confeffed it.

The next that was arraigned for this Confpiracy, was William Lord Ral, who was brought to Trial at the Old Bailey, July 13; where Rumfey depofed against him, That

The

he was prefent at a Confult at Mr. 1683. Shepherd's in Otober or November, 1682, where there was a Difcourfe about a Rifing and Seizing the Guards; and that the Lord Ruel did fpeak about the Rifing. Shepherd iwore, That the faid Confult was held at his Houfe, and that my Lord was there. That their Dif course was how to furprize the Guards; that the Duke of Monmouth, the Lord Gray, and Sir Thomas Armstrong, went one Night to the Meufe to view them; that Armftrong faid the Guards were very remifs, and the Thing feafible; that they had two Meetings at his Houfe; that in one of them fomething was read by Ferguson, in the Nature of a Declaration, in order to a Rifing; that he could not fay the Lord Ruffel was there when that was read, but that he was there when they talk'd of feizing the Guards. Lord Howard of Ejcrick deposed, That after the Earl of Shaftsbury's Flight, the chief Perfons concern'd, agreed they had gone fo far, that they could not with Safety go back; and that for the carrying it on, it was neceffary to have fome General Council. Which they therefore conftituted of fix Perfons, who were the Duke of Monmouth, the Earl of Effex, the Lord Ruffel, Colonel Algernoon Sidney, Mr. Hampden, and himfelf: That thefe Confults were frequently held; and the Things debated in them were concerning an intended Infurrection, whether it fhould begin first in London, or in the Country; what Counties and Towns were fitteft; what Arms were to be provided, and how to be difpofed and concerning raifing a common Bank of 25 or 30,000 l. but that the greatest Point was to draw in Scotland into a Confent with them; to which Purpose a Meffenger was fent to the Earl of Argy!!