AD. that upon the whole, the Deficen1695. cies for this Year's Service amoun ted to 2,078,975 The Bufinels of reforming the Coin was the matter next confidered. Reafons Pro and Con were bandied upon the Subject. The Neceffity of doing it was evident, but the Manner was the Queftion. To bring all the Coin at once to the old Standard, was by many looked upon as impracticable, and yet to depart from the Standard and give a Denomination above intrin fick Value, was giving no Relief in the most confiderable Article of Grievance, Foreign Exchange. But upon the Iffue, the Matter was moft happily accomplished. First of all it was refolved by both Houfes, That the old Standard fhould be maintained, and no Alteration admitted in Name or Value. Se condly, to relieve the People who poffeffed the bad Money, it was refolved, That it fhould be taken by tale as ufual in the Exchequer, upon Loans and all Payments of Taxes. And that even the counterfeit Money of bafe Alloy fhould not be refufed, Thirdly for a quicker Supply of Coinage, a Premium was granted to all Perfons that would bring in Plate. And for a Difpatch of the Coinage, Mints were erected at York, Norwich, Chefer, Exeter, and Brifol. And lastly, all broad hammered Money was permitted to pass for fome time, after the Day prefixed, which was February the 10th, provided it were punched thro' to prevent Clipping. And for all Mo. nies which came not in by the 4th of May, Five Shillings and Eight Pence per Ounce was allowed in the Exchequer, till November, and after that Day Five Shillings and 2 Pence per Ounce. 4 By thefe Methods our Coin was miraculously restored. Difficulties to be fure muft happen upon fo great an Alteration, in the means of Buying and Selling, but they proved extreamly lefs than was appre hended. The broad Hammered Money pretty well fupplyed, till the recoined came abroad. And the Law having already pinned down mied Money to its old Price, those that had it now no longer hoarded it. In Guineas alone there was a great lo felt, for when the milled Money be came current, 'twas abfurd to give 30 of thofe Shillings for a piece Gold that was worth but 21 s. and 6d. Wherefore the Price of them was lower'd by Degrees, firft 26s and then to 22 s. To provide for the Lofs of Recoining the Houfe voted 1,200, ooo. which they raised by a Day on Houfes, commonly called the Window-Tax. The next confiderable Matter this Seffion, was the Debates in the Houfe about the Scotch Africa and Eat-India Company. On D cember the 14th, the Lords com municated to the Commons fr their Concurrence an Addrefs which they had drawn up to prefent u the King, complaining, That pu fuant to an A&t paffed laft Sea of Parliament in Scotland, a Com pany of Merchants was erected ar impowered to Trade to Africa, Eaft-Indies, &c. free from al Payments of Cuftoms, Taxes cr any Impofitions whatfoever, for the Term of 21 Years; and for thermore that his Majefty promis to protect them and interpofe h Authority, for Reftitution and Re paration of any Damage cone their Ships. Which Powers p ting their Company upon fo mucha better Foot than the Engly were, would tend to the Deftruction of the Trade of England. To w A Addrefs the Commons agreed, and it was accordingly prefented to the King. Who answered that he had been ill ferved in Scotland, but he hoped fome Remedies might be found to prevent the Inconveniences which might arife from this Act. The House of Commons taking this Matter into Confideration, discovered that a private Oath de Fideli, had been adminiftred to the Members of this Company, and that divers Merchants of London had entred into it, and taken the faid Oath, Twenty whereof being named, they were voted guilty of a High Crime and Mifdemeanor, and ordered to be impeached. But the Person who was the principal Evidence against them withdrawing, fo as not to be found, the Matter fell. This produced an Act for eftablishing a Council of Trade to prevent future Evils of this Sort, which Council ftill fubfifts. Another Affair which employed the Confideration of both Houfes this Seffion, was a Grant from the King to the Earl of Portland, of the Lordships of Denbigh, Brom field and rale, and other Lands in the Principality of Wales, Part of the Demefnes of the Prince of Wales. Which Grant being brought to the Lords of the Treafury to be paffed, was oppofed by divers Welb Gentlemen, who urged fuch Reafons a gainft it, that it ftopt for fome time, and now being complained of in the House, after full hearing, the Commons unanimoufly voted, That an Address be prefented to his Majefty to stop the faid Grant: which was done accordingly. And now a Scene opened which gave us great Surprize. The Enemy, as I have faid, had taken up an Opinion, that it was not difhonourable to take away the King's Life by any way that could accom; plifh it, and therefore to affaffinate A. D. But it pleafed God to disappoint The Confpirators at London, having received a Commiffion from King James, confulted upon the means of affaffinating King Wil liam; divers Ways were named and difapproved, till at last it was agreed, that the most feasible would be to attack him as he returned from Hunting, in a Lane a little beyond Brentford, which the King ufually paffed through after he came over the Water, without waiting for the coming up of the Guards, the greateft Part whereof remained on the other Side, expecting the FerryBoat back again. The 15th of February was pitched upon to be the Day, but the King not then going abroad, it was put off to the 21ft. But on that Day too, News was brought them by Keys their Meffenger, called the Orderly-Man, who went daily to Kenfington for Intelligence, that the Guards were all come back, and that there was a Muttering of a damnable Plot difcovered. Thus far on their Side; let us now trace the Steps of the Dif covery. On the firft Notice of the French Preparations, the Elector of Bavaria and the Duke of Wirtemberg fent Advices from Flanders to his Majelty of it. And both the Duke of A. D. 1695 of Bavaria, and the States-General, Mr. Pendergrass, a Gentleman of On the 23d of February the King published a Proclamation for ap prehending the Duke of Berwick, (who came to London to forward the Defign) Sir George Barclay, Ma jor Lowick, George Porter, Captain Stow, Captain Walbanck, Captain James Courtney, Dinant, Chamber, Boife, George Higgins, Davis, Card, Goodman, Cranburn, Keys, Pendograss, Byerly, Trevor, Sir Geo. Maxwel, Durance, Chr. Knightly, King, Sir William Perkins, and Rubwood. Upon publishing this Proclamation, feveral named in it, as wel as others of the Confpirators, were taken into Cuftody. And on the 24th of February the King came to the Houfe of Lords, and after paffing fome Acts, made a Speech; wherein he acquainted both Houfs of this Difcovery of the Confpiracy for affaffinating his Perfon, and of the intended Invafion. And that as he had taken up divers of the Confpirators, fo he had alfo given Or ders for the bringing over fuch Troops as might effectually proted the Nation from the impending Danger. The Secretary Sir William Trambal spoke more largely in the Hot of Commons concerning the Cred.bility of the Witnesses, and the everal Ways the Discovery came; tc: befides the Informations from 2broad, Mr. de la Rue went to Brigadier Lewfon, Mr. Pendergrass to the Lord Portland, without knowing one another. And one Harri, who came from France, with Sa George Barclay, upon the first P lication of the Proclamation, cart voluntarily, and furrendred himki to him (the Secretary) and gave him fufficient affurance of the reality c the wicked Defign, tho' he was not able to tell the Particulars of it. Both Houfes being convinced of the Danger the Nation had eped, agreed in an Address to Ma Majefty, wherein they exprefs'd their Abhorrence of the wicked Deign, affured him of their Affiftance in the Defence of his Perfon, and Support of his Government, and declared, That in cafe his Majefty hould come to any violent Death, they would revenge it on all his Majefty's Enemies and their Adherents. And foon after they paffed a Bill to impower his Majefty to imprifon fuch as he fhould fufpect were confpiring against his Perfon and Government. And alfo a Bill to enact, that the King's Death hould not determine the Parlianent. And if no Parliament were hen in being, the laft that was hould affemble and be a Parliament; ill diffolved by the Succeffor. The Commons alfo entred into n Affociation; wherein, after delaring his Majefty's Right and wful Title to the Crown, they romife to affociate and ftand by ach other in revenging his Majety's Death, in cafe he fhould come an untimely End. This was gned by all the Members prefent, nd thofe abfent were ordered in xteen Days to appear and fign it, r declare their refufal. Which beag figned by all, was prefented on he 3d of April to the King. The King wifely told them he joined with with, and would venture his Life against all who fhould endeaour to fubvert the Religion, Laws, nd Liberties of England; and that his Affociation fhould be lodged mong the Records in the Tower. and fo zealous was the Houfe now the King's Intereft, that the ext Day they voted every Body an nemy to the Kingdom, who fhould ueftion the Legality of the Affoation. The Example was followed not ly by the House of Lords, but alfo ough all the Corporations in the Kingdom. And finally, it was enacted, That no Perfon fhould be capable of any Office without fubfcribing it. Several of the Confpirators being feized, Orders were given for bringing them to Trial. Accordingly Mr, Robert Charnock, a Gentleman of Parts, who was one of the principal Confpirators, was tried on the 11th of March. He went over to France the laft Summer to demand an Affiftance of the French King of 2,000 Horfe and Dragoons, and 8,000 Foot, to which the Party promifed to add 2,000 Horfe for King James's Service. The French Court answered they could not at that time comply, as being unable to fpare fo many Men. But that Answer feems to have been given, becaufe they would not truft the Party here with the Secret, for it afterwards appeared that from that Time they fet to work upon this intended Expedition, and had got all Things ready, even before King James himfelf was informed of it. It appeared by the Evidence upon this Trial, that this Gentlemen was privy to, and next Sir George Barclay, a prime Manager of the intended Affaffination. He made an artful Defence, and faid as much as was poffible in a bad Caufe, but could not exculpate himself, for the Evidence was too full, and therefore he was found guilty of High-Treafon, and fentenced accordingly. With Charnock also were tried King, who had been a Lieutenant, and was one of thofe who undertook to be the Affaffinators. And Tho. Keys, who was a Trumpeter, and afterwards Servant to Porter. This Man was imployed to watch, at Kensington, the King's going out and in, and bring Advice to the Confpirators. It was proved he A. D. 1695. A. D. he was privy to the intended Affaf 1695. fination, and affifted towards it as much as he could. They were both found guilty of High Treafon, and fentenced to Death. On the 18th of March they were all three executed at Tyburn, and all confeffed the Fact they were condemned for, but pretended to extenuate it, by alledging the Duty they owed to King James. They laboured to clear the Roman Catholicks of having any hand in this Defign, and to deny that King James gave a Commiffion for the Affaffination. Which was what was contained in the Papers they gave the Sheriffs at their Deaths. The next that were tried were Sir John Friend and Sir William Perkins. These were brought to Trial at the Seffions Houfe in the Old Baily, March 23d and 24th; Sir John Friend on the first Day, and Sir William Perkins on the Second. Against Sir John Friend Captain Porter depofed, That he was one of the Company who met at a Tavern in Leadenhall-Street, to give Charnock Inftruction, to go over to France to invite King James into England, and to ask of the French Court an Affiftance of 2,000 Horfe and Dragoons, and 8,000 Foot to affift him: He alfo fwore, That all the Company promised to contribute in adding 2,000 Horfe to that Number. That Sir John Friend was alfo prefent at a fecond Meeting to the fame purpose, wherein Charnock received his last Instructions. Then one Blair depofed, That he had feen a Commiffion from King James to Sir John Friend to raise a Regiment for his Service, which Sir John fhewed him. That he (Blair) was to be his Lieutenant-Colonel. And that Sir John Friend told him from Time to Time of the advance he had made in raifing his Regiment, and gave him 40. to be used in levying and fubfifting Men. The Defence he made confifting only in fome Attempts against the Reputa tion of the Witneffes, which n fucceeding, he had no more to fay, but was found guilty. Sir William Perkins was tryed on the 24th of March. Against whom Captain Porter depofed, That be alfo was one of the Company who at two Meetings confulted upon and refolved to fend Charnock to France to invite King James with a French Force. By other Evidence it appeared that he was raifing a Regiment, that he had bought up Arms, feveral Chefts full wherecf were buried in his Garden, and found there by the Conftable. And he brought to Town four Horfes with Piftols the Night before the Day wherein the Affaffination was intended, and fent his Servant that Morning to Kenfington. Upon the whole he was alfo found guilty. And both were executed on the d of April. On the 21st and 22d of April, were tried and condemned, Asbrofe Rockwood, Charles Cramburs, and Robert Lowick, three of thee that were to have affaffinated the King, which was fully proved upon them, and they were condemned accordingly, and were execoted April the 29th. Not denying at their Deaths the Truth of the Evidence. May the 13th, Peter Cock was brought to Trial, as being one of thofe prefent at the two Meeting for fending Charnock to France, às abovefaid, and gave his Confent to it. The Prifoner's Defence confifted only in endeavouring to inva lidate Goodman's Evidence, which not being fufficiently done, he was convicted and fentenced, but not executed. These were all that fa fered for this Plot, till Sir Jet Fenwick was taken and attained |