nant Colonel Tho. Walcot, who on the 12th of July was arraigned at the Seffions-house in the Old Bailey, where Rumfey witneffed againft 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 Houle Ferguson lodged, depofed, That Walcot was one that met at the Dragon 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 20th of the fame Month.

he was prefent at a Confult at Mr. 1683. Shepherd's in October or November, 1682, where there was a Difcourfe about a Rifing and Seizing the Guards; and that the Lord Ruffel did fpeak about the Rifing. Shepherd (wore, That the faid Confult was held at his Houfe, and that my Lord was there. That their Difcourfe was how to furprize the Guards; that the Duke of Monmouth, the Lord Gray, and Sir Tho mas Armstrong, went one Night to the Meufe to view them; that Armfrong faid the Guards were very remifs, and the Thing feafible; that they had two Meetings at his House; 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. The Lord Howard of Ejcrick depofed, 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 should 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 Purpofe a Meffenger was fent to the Earl of Argy!!

1683. in Holland, and another to Sir John Cockrain, &c. to Scotland. That the fecond of thefe Confults were held at the Lord Ruffel's Houfe. Againft this Evidence the Lord Ruffel's Defence was, That the Meetings were only to talk of News in general; and that he was at Shepherd's to tafte Sherry. He denied the knowing of any fuch Council; that the Witneffes fwore to fave their Lives; that a Defign of levying War without an Övert- A&t was not Treafon; that to the Bufinefs at Shepherd's, there was but one Witness, &c. To which was added the Teftimony of the Duke of Somerset, the Earl of Anglefea, and many other eminent Perfons, for his Lordship's Probity, Virtue, and good Temper, which rendred it extreamly improbable he fhould enter into fuch Defigns; and fome of them witnessed that the Lord Howard had declared, That he believed the Lord Ruffel innocent, and knew nothing against him. But all his Pleas were over-ruled, as may be feen in the printed Trial, to which we refer, being found Guilty by the Jury; and on the 21ft of that Month he was beheaded on a Scaffold in Lincoln-Inn Fields. At his Death he delivered a Paper to the Sheriff, wherein he abfolutely denies having ever had the leaft Thought of changing the Government, and would have fuffered any Extremity rather than have confented to the taking away of the King's Life, for whom he expreffes the most earnest Wishes of Hap piness. He denied he was ever privy to the Undertaking of feizing the Guards, but owned there was fome Difcourfe of the Feafible. nefs of it, which he never concurred in, and had on the contrary inveighed against. He urged, That what was charged upon him could

at moft amount only to Mifprifion of Treafon. And finally, he denied that he had ever had any Defign against the King's Life, or the Life of any Man whatsoever.

The Earl of Eex having been accused of being concerned in this Confpiracy, was quickly after the Difcovery committed Prifoner to the Tower; where on the fame Day that the Lord Ruffel was tried, he cut his own Throat.

July 13, John Rouse alfo was brought to Trial, against whom Thomas Lea, a Dyer, and William Leigh evidenced, that he undertook to provide 100 Arms for the Infurrection; that he contrived to bring in fome Sea Captains, who fhould engage the Seamen to affil in feizing the Tower; and alío to get Scamen to feize the GuardShips at Woolwich and Deptford. He was found Guilty, and on the 10th of July made a Confeffion and Information of the whole Plot; ard at his Execution declared, He bad deferved the Sentence paffed upon bia, that he had heard and underfood in much in several Meetings, especially of fome, who though they called themfelves true Protefiants, were Ten Thousand Times worse than enj others.

On the 7th of November, Colonel Algernon Sidney was arraigned, and on the zift of the fame Month brought to Tryal, for be ing one of the Council of Six 3bovementioned, for fending a Meffenger into Scotland to invite them into the Rebellion, and for writing a treasonable Libel found in ha Clofet. The Lord Howard depo fed, That he was one of the Council of Six, and that he fent the Meffenger, Aaron Smith, to Scatland, to invite hither Melvin, Cut rain, and the Campbells. And veral other Perfons witneffed, That

thofe Scotchmen were in London about that Time. Concerning the Libel, it was proved that it was found in Colonel Sidney's Clofet, and as far as fuch a Matter will bear, to be of his own Hand writing The Libel was of very treafonous Import, as it was then called. But the Book having been fince printed, the World is a Judge of it. which he answer'd, That the Papers, if they were his might be written long fince in Anfwer to Fil mer's Book, and for his own Diverfion, not for Publication. Denied he fent the Meffenger, &c. but he was found Guilty, and on the 7th of December was beheaded on Tower Hill

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The reft that fuffered for this Confpiracy, were James Holloway and Sir Thomas Armstrong, who being Out-law'd, were both taken Abroad, one in Mevis in America, and the other at Leyden in Holland, brought over to England in the following Year, and both executed; Holloway confeffing all; but Armtrong died reviling Authority for not granting him a Trial, notwithtanding the Out lawry.

And thus you have the Sum of what this ho rid Plot produced in this King's Reign; who, for his and his Kingdom's happy Deliverance from it, appointed a Day of folemn Thanksgiving to be kept, both through England and Scotland, on the 9th of September; at which Time his Majefty's Declaration to is Subjects, giving an Account of he horrid Confpiracy, was publicky read in all Churches.

The Difcovery of this Confpiray, with the Indignation and even Horror that it created in the Minds f the People, fufficiently ftrengthn'd the Hands of the Miniftry; nd, as they call'd it, a Warrantry or what they had been doing, to

they look'd upon it as a Licence to P oceed. And now not only the whole Rigor of the Laws, both Ecclefiaftical and Civil, was let loofe upon the Diffenters, of whom many Thoufands were profecuted to Excommunication; and many Hundreds thrown into Goal for NonConf rinity only; I fay, not only were the Diffenters profecuted with the utmofl Severity, but alfo many true Conformifts and loyal Subjects (but denominated Whigs) were vex'd with litigious Profecutions upon the flightest Pretences, and often fined in very great Sums. By thefe Practices, the Whiggish Party were fo intirely fubdued, that during the reft of this Reign, there was as much Quietnefs in England upon Politicks, as there is upon Religion in thofe Countries where the Inquifition reigns.

But to proceed: On the 19th of July, this Year, 1683, Prince George, Brother to the King of Denmark, arrived at Whitehall, and on the 28th of the fame Month was married to the Lady Anne, fecond Daughter to the Duke of York.

Sept. 29, Sir George Jefferies was fworn Lord Chief Juftice of the King's Bench, in the Room of Sir Edmund Saunders, deceased; Sir Thomas Jones made Chief Justice of the Common Pleas; and Sir Richard Holloway one of the Justices of the King's Bench.

The Parliament having neglected to provide for Tangier in Africa, and it having coft the King a valt Treafure, in building Fortifications, and a noble Mole in the Sea for fecuring the Haven, and in maintaining a Garrifon continually in it; befides the great Expence in defending it when it was ftraitly befieged the lat Year by the Moors; and continuing fill to be a greater Charge than the Crown was willing

to