and appointed a Teft (which that Nation extremely refented) for fecuring the established Government, and afferting the Right of Succeffion; and did likewife, in Answer to his Majefty's Letter, which was read to them at the opening of the Seffions, with all Expreffions of Duty and Loyalty, acknowledge the Honour his Majefty had been pleafed to do them, in fending his Brother to prefide as High Commiffioner among them. A. D. 1682. On the 12th of February, this Year, there happened a very fad Accident, in this Manner; Thomas Thynn, of Longleet, Efq; Gentleman of a very great Eftate, was fet upon in his Coach near the Hay-market, by three Ruffians, of whom one firing a Blunderbufs at him, difcharg'd two Brace of Bullets into his Belly, whereof he died foon after. The Murtherers were Chrif topher Vratz, George Boroki, and John Stern, all three Foreigners, and DeFendents on Count Conigfmark, a Swedish Lord, who had incited them to the Attempt. They were all apprehended, the three Ruffians in Town, and the Count in Difguife at Gravefend, endeavouring to make his Efcape beyond Sea; and being brought to Trial for the Murther, the principal Actors were condemned to be hanged; but the Count was by the Jury brought in Not Guilty. They were accordingly executed in the Pall-mall, near the Place where they had committtd the Fact, and Boroki, a Pole, who fired the Blunderbuis, was afterwards hanged in Chains at Mile-End. The Duke of York came from Scotland in March, and having made fome fhort Stay in England, in the Beginning of May embarked in the Gloucester Frigate, attended with feveral Perfons of Quality, and fome other Ships and Yachts, and fet Sail again for Scotland; but when he was out at Sea, and off of Yarmouth Road, the Ship wherein he was, early in the Morning, on the 5th of May, ftruck upon the Lemon Ore Sands, though the Weather was fair, and one Ayres, reckoned the best Coaster in England, his Pilot; the Duke put off in his Pinnace with fome Perfons of Quality, and faved himself on board a Yacht, where he had not long been before he faw the Frigat fink to the Bottom, in which above an Hundred and Fifty Perfons perifhed, and fome of them Gentlemen of Quality; as the Earl of Roxborough, the Lord Obrian, and the Laird of Hopton, Lieutenant Hyde, Brother to the Earl of Clarendon, and others; he afterwards arrived in Scotland, and on the 27th of the fame Month returned with his Dutchefs and Lady Anne, to Whitehall. The Election of Sheriffs for London, on Midfummer Day this Year, caufed a great Diflurbance; the Occafion thus: It had been an ancient Cuftom for the Lord-Mayor, at the Bridge houfe Feaft, to drink to fome confiderable Citizen, thereby nominating him for Sheriff at the next Election, which the Citizens had ufed to comply with, and commonly chofe that Perfon with another for their Sheriffs. Sir John Moor, who was Mayor this Year, had, according to this Custom, drank to Dudley North, Efq; and iffued his Precept to the Companies to meet at Guildhall for the Confirmation of him, and chufing another to be his Colleague. The Citizens met accordingly, and made a very numerous Affembly; but this new Form of Confirmation, which had never before been feen in the Precept, railed fuch an Indignation, that it was re T 3 folved 1682. folved to lay afide the Lord Mayor's Election, and proceed to the Election of two, out of four propofed, viz. North and Box on 'one Side, and Papillon and Dubois on the other; this was very warmly purfued, and was as zealously oppofed by the Lord Mayor's Party, who cryed out for fupporting the Honour of the Chair, and conforming to the ancient Cuftom. And a Poll being demanded, the Lord-Mayor, contrary to all former Practice, provided Books and Clerks to take it; the Sheriffs, as ufual claimed this as their Bufinefs, and provided other Books; fo that there were two Pollings at the fame time, which caufed very great quarrelling and Diforder, and made the Lord-Mayor interpofe his Authority, and by Proclamation to adjourn the Court to another Day, and departed out of the Hall, but not without Indignities and Affaults from fome of the other Party, who notwithstanding the Adjournment, ftaid ftill with the Sheriffs, and polled on till Night. For this the two Sheriffs were by the King and Council committed to the Tower, where they lay from Monday to Friday, that by a Habeas Corpus they were bailed. After their Enlargement, they fill perfifted and declared Papillon and Dubois Sheriffs for the Year enfuing; while the Lord Mayor went on alfo, and Mr. Box having the Majority in his Books, he declared North and Box duly elected Sheriffs for the next Year. The other Party petitioned the Court of Aldermen, that Mr. Papillon and Mr. Dubcis might be called forth to give Bond to ferve as Sheriffs the next Year. To which the Court anfwered, That they would maintain the Rights and Privileges of the Chair and the whole City; that they would take care that fuch as were lawfully elected should take upon them the Of fice of Sheriff, referring the Matter to Law, if the Petitioners thought they did otherswife. All the Buftle was not over, for Mr. Box fined; fo another was to be chofen in his Place; this was rejected by the other Party, who not acknowledging the Election of him valid, refufed to chufe another, but clamoured against it. Nevertheles the Lord-Mayor proceeded, and the Majority of Voices falling upon Peter Rich, Efq; he was thereupon declared Sheriff, and the Court diffolved. On Michaelmus Day, at the Election of a Lord-Mayor, the Heats were renewed; for Sir William Pritchard, who was the fenior Alderman below the Chair, being ac cording to the ancient Method, put up by one Party, was by the other Party oppofed, and Sir Thomas Goald, who was of a far later ftanding, and Henry Cornish, Efq; who had been Sheriff but the Year before, pat up against him, and a Poll being taken, the Majority fell upon Gall and Cornish, till by a Scrutiny it appeared there had been many falle Pollers on their Side, who being rejected, the Election refted upon Sir William Pritchard, who was accordingly fworn. Mr. Pilkington, the late Sheriff, in the Court of Aldermen, ufed fome indecent Expreffions against the Duke of York; for which being afterwards fued in an Action of Scar dalum Magnatum, in the Court of King's Bench, he was caft, and an Hundred thousand Pound Damages given the Duke, for which he lay feveral Years in the King's-Bench Prifon. Nov. 29, Rupert Prince Palatine of the Rhine, Son to the Princes Elizabeth, Daughter to King Jam I. departed this Life in the 64 Year Year of his Age, and was buried at Westminster 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-men ioned; 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 Dilorder, the Lieutenancy immediately affembled, and ordered all the Regiments of the Trained Bands to be aifed with all Speed: For this Sir William Pritchard after wards 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 againit 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 Reftoration of the Charter by King James, at the coming of the Prince of Orange. The like Quo Warranto's were alfo brought againit all the other Corporations in the Kingdom, which by like Judgment were furrendred to the King. A fatal Remedy for a flight Difcafe, 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 Illegality of the Act) 'tis very wonderful that a King to 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 those Laws which our Ancestors had obtained for the Security of our Liberties. 1683. 1683. Mayor, being the very Man that, by being constituted 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, addrefled 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 raising 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 also been in the Cabals, Warrants were thereupon iffued 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, Barier at Law, who had been very active in this Defign, and had himself bought a Quantity of Arms to be ufed in it: Zac. Born, a Brewer, at whofe House Ferguson lodged, and feveral others; which, together with the Confeffions of thofe that we ́e 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 History 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 fo lorg 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 19:h 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 to many, it was impoflible 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 fi fomewhat damp'd them, but in a little Time they recover'd their Spirits, and renew'd their Confultatice: with great Vigour; and now it was agreed, that one Grand Counc fhould be conflituted, and frequen:ly held by the Chiefs of the Party, from whence Orders and Direct ons were to be iffued to the inferics Cabals; which Council fat the t time about the middle of Janxay 1682 3, and confulted upon Mein for an Infurrection. It feemed neceffary that Ste 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 raise 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 thefe did agree to and promise them. The Earl of Argyll had promifed the fame before, when Shaftsbury firit began the Defign; but they not making Hafte enough, he was fain to retire to Holland, for Fear of being difcovered, having lately efcaped out of Edinburgh Cattle, 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 affign'd to fome one principal Man of great Truit, 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, E. and by this Means they hoped to provide ten thousand 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 above mentioned Places; an hundred old Oliverian Officers were to head the Infurrection, and thofe in the City were to be affilted with 500 Horfe from the neighbouring Coun- 1683. ties; 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 secured 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 Majetty 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, Wal cot, 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 |