'8. Quomodo nomina conjura. torum innotescere possent.

9. Ubi tota ista congregatio 'possit circumveniri.

10. Infideles nonnulli ab parte regis præcipuorum de nomine 'notificantur; plures, quorum no. 'mina non occurrunt, habitationes tamen notæ sunt; de nomine 'facile ab Reda extorqueri poterunt. 'Si caute in his procedatur, 'nervus totius negotii in apricum 'prodibit; ita sagitta prævisa, ef'fugietur periculo, quod ut suc'cedat prospere, Creator omnipotens faxit.

8. How the names of the conspirators may be known.

9. Where this whole congrega tion may be circumvented.

10. Some of the principal unfaithful ones of the king's party are notified by name; many of whose names occur not, yet their habitations are known; their names may be easily extorted from Read.

If these things be warily proceeded in, the strength of the whole business will be brought to light; so, the arrow being foreseen, the danger shall be avoided; which, that it may prosperously succeed, the Omnipotent Creator grant.

The Archbishop's Indorsement with his own hand.

Received, October 14, 1640. The narration of the great treason, concerning which he promised to Sir William Boswel to discover, against the king and state.

THE

ACT OF PARLIAMENT OF THE TWENTYSEVENTH OF QUEEN ELISABETH,

TO PRESERVE

The Queen's Person, the Protestant Religion, and Government, FROM THE ATTEMPTS OF THE PAPISTS,

THEN BIG WITH THE HOPES OF A POPISH SUCCESSOR:

With the association the Protestants then entered into, to the ends aforesaid, till the parliament could meet, and provide for their necessary preservations. Together, with some sober and seasonable queries upon the same. By a sincere Protestant, and true friend to his country.

ECCLES. iii. 15. That which bath been, is now; and that which is to be, bath already been ; and God requireth that which is past.

REV. xviii. 24.—And in her was found the blood of Prophets, and of Saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

[From a folio, containing six pages, printed in the year 1679.]

ANNO XXVII.

An act for provision to be made for the surety of the Queen's Majesty's most royal person, and the continuance of the realm in peace. as the good felicity and comfort of the whole estate of this realm consisteth (only next under God) in the surety and

FORAS MUCH

preservation of the Queen's most excellent Majesty: and for that it hath manifestly appeared, that sundry wicked plots, and means, have of late been devised and laid as well in foreign parts, beyond the seas, as also within this realm, to the great indangering of her highness's most royal person, and to the utter ruin of the whole commonweal, if, by God's merciful providence, the same had not been revealed: therefore, for preventing of such great perils as might hereafter otherwise grow, by the like detestable and devilish practices, at the humble suit and earnest petition and desire of the lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same parliament, be it enacted and ordained, if, at any time after the end of this present session of parliament, any open invasion or rebellion shall be had or made, into or within any of her majesty's realms or dominions, or any act attempted, tending to the hurt of her majesty's most royal person, by, or for any person, that shall, or may pretend any title to the crown of this realm, after her majesty's decease; or if any thing shall be compassed or imagined, tending to the hurt of her majesty's royal person, by any person, or with the privity of any person, that shall, or may, pretend title to the crown of this realm; that then by her majesty's commission, under her great seal, the lords, and other of her highness's privy council, and such other lords of parliament, to be named by her majesty, as, with the said privy council, shall make up the number of four and twenty at the least, having with them, for their assistance in that behalf, such of the judges of the courts of record at Westminster as her highness shall for that purpose assign and appoint, or the more part of the same council, lords, and judges, shall, by virtue of this act, have authority to examine all and every the offences afore said, and all circumstances thereof, and thereupon to give sentence or judgment, as, upon good proof, the matter shall appear unto them; and that after such sentence or judgment given, and declaration thereof inade, and published by her majesty's proclamation, under the great seal of England, all persons, against whom such sentence or judgment shall be so given and published, shall be excluded and disabled for ever to have or claim, or to pretend to have or claim the crown of this realm, or of any of her majesty's dominions, any former law or statute whatsoever, to the contrary, in any wise notwithstanding: and that thereupon all her highness's subjects shall, and may lawfully, by virtue of this act, and her majesty's direction in that behalf, by forceable and possible means, pursue to death every such wicked person, by whom, or by whose means, assent or privity, any such invasion or rebellion shall be, in form aforesaid, denounced to have been made, or such wicked act attempted, or other thing compassed or imagined against her majesty's person, and all their aiders, comforters, and abettors.

And if any such detestable act shall be executed against her highness's most royal person, whereby her majesty's life shall be taken away (which God of his great mercy forbid) that then every such person, by, or for whom any such act shall be executed, and their issues being any wise assenting, or privy to the same, shall, by virtue of this act, be excluded and disabled for ever to have, or claim, or to pretend to have, or claim, the said crown of this realm, or of any other of her highness's dominions,

any former law or statute whatsoever, to the contrary, in any wise notwithstanding. And that all the subjects of this realm, and all other her majesty's dominions, shall and may lawfully, by virtue of this act, by all forcible and possible means, pursue to death every such wicked person, by whom, or by whose means, any such detestable fact shall be, in form hereafter expressed, 'denounced to have been committed, and also their issues being any way assenting or privy to the same, and all their aiders, comforters, and abettors, in that behalf.

And to the end that the intention of this law may be effectually executed, if her majesty's life should be taken away, by any violent or unnatural means (which God defend): be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that the lords and others, which shall be of her majesty's privy council, at the time of such her decease, or the more part of the same council, joining unto them, for their better assistance, five other earls, and seven other lords of parliament at least (foreseeing that none of the said earls, lords, or council, be known to be persons, that may make any title to the crown) those persons which were chief justices of either bench, master of the rolls, and chief baron of the exchequer, at the time of her majesty's death, or, in default of the said justices, master of the rolls, and chief baron, some other of those which were justices of some of the courts of records at Westminster, at the time of her highness's decease, to supply their places, or any four and twenty or more of them, whereof eight to be lords of the parliament, not being of the privy council, shall to the uttermost of their power and skill examine the cause and manner of such her majesty's death, and what persons shall be any way guilty thereof, and all circumstances concerning the same, according to the true meaning of this act, and thereupon shall by open proclamation publish the same, and without any delay, by all forcible and possible means, prosecute to death all such as shall be found to be offenders therein, and all their aiders and abettors; and for the doing thereof, and for the withstanding and suppressing of all such power and force, as shall any way be levied or stirred in disturbance of the due execution of this law, shall, by virtue of this act, have power and authority not only to raise and use such forces, as shall in that behalf be needful and convenient, but also to use all other means and things possible and necessary for the maintenance of the same forces, and prosecution of the said offenders. And if any such power and force shall be levied or stirred, in disturbance of the due execution of this law, by any person, that shall, or may pretend any title to the crown of this realm, whereby this law may not in all things be fully executed, according to the effect and true meaning of the same; that then every such person shall, by virtue of this act, be therefore excluded and disabled, for ever, to have, or claim, or to pretend to have, or claim, the crown of this realm, or of any other her highness's dominions, any former law or statute whatsoever, to the contrary, notwithstanding.

And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that all and every the subjects of all her majesty's realms and dominions shall, to the uttermost of their power, aid and assist the said council and all other the lords, and other persons, to be adjoined unto them for assistance, as is aforesaid, in all things, to be done and executed according

to the effect and intention of this law; and that no subject of this realm shall in any wise be impeached in body, lands, or goods, at any time hereafter, for any thing to be done or executed according to the tenor of this law, any law or statute, heretofore made to the contrary, in any wise notwithstanding.

And whereas, of late, many of her majesty's good and faithful subjects have, in the name of God, and with the testimonies of good consciences, by one uniform manner of writing under their hands and seals, and by their several oaths voluntarily taken, joined themselves together in one bond and association, to withstand and revenge to the uttermost all such malicious actions and attempts, against her majesty's most royal person; now for the full explaining of all such ambiguities and questions as otherwise might happen to grow, by reason of any sinister or wrong construction or interpretation, to be made or inferred of, or upon the words, or meaning thereof, be it declared and enacted by the authority of this present parliament, that the same association and every article and sentence therein contained, as well concerning the disallowing, excluding, or disabling any person, that may or shall pretend any title to come to the crown of this realm, as also for the pursuing and taking revenge of any person, for any such wicked act or attempt, as is mentioned in the same association, shall, and ought to be in all things expounded and adjudged, according to the true intent and meaning of this act, and not otherwise, nor against any other person or persons.

IN CONSIDERATION OF THE SAID ACT, MAY IT NOT BE QUERIED.

First, respecting the imminent danger, that England was in at that time, by the Papists, who in expectation of a Popish successor (Mary, Queen of Scots) designed to murder the queen, and subvert the government, and Protestant religion, by their hellish plots, both at home and abroad.

Query I. Whether it is not a direct parallel case to our own, at this very time, wherein the Papists, in hopes of a Popish successor, (the Duke of York) have so long, and by so many ways, designed to murder the king, and subvert the government, and Protestant religion, by their hellish plots, both at home and abroad; as the manifold and still renewed discoveries of the plot, the reiterated proclamations, publick fasts, legal proceedings, and repeated parliament votes upon it, doth so fully appear? some of which votes are these, viz.

Die Martis, 25 March, 1679.

Resolved, nemine contradicente, by the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in parliament assembled, that they do declare, that they are fully satisfied by the proofs they have heard, there now is, and for divers years last past hath been, a horrid and treasonable plot and conspiracy, contrived and carried on by those of the Popish religion, for the murdering of his majesty's sacred person, and for the subverting the Protestant religion, and the antient and established government of this kingdom.

Sunday, April 27th, 1679.

Resolved, nemine contradicente, that the Duke of York being a Papist, and the hopes of his coming such to the crown, hath given the greatest encouragement and countenance to the present conspiracies and designs of the Papists, against the king and Protestant religion.

And again in the intended act: 'do declare, that the Duke of York having openly departed from the Church of England, and publickly professed and owned the Popish religion, hath notoriously given birth and life to the most damnable and hellish plot (by the most gracious providence of God brought to light)' &c.

Secondly, as to the remedies then applied, and so effectually (by God's blessing) for the preservation of her majesty's person, Protestant religion, and government; as,

1. By that famous association, entered into by the people, in the interval of parliament.

2. The wholesome laws made by the parliament at their meeting. First, As to the association of the people in that extraordinary case. Query II. Whether the good people of England (now in a like case) in sense of their most imminent danger, are not loudly called upon, in this interval of parliament, to be in a preparedness to enter into such a solemn association, to preserve the king's person, Protestant religion, and government, with their lives and fortunes; and to be ready to revenge upon the Papists any violence by them offered in the mean time to his majesty's person; and to prevent any Popish successor, till the parliament may meet and provide for the necessary preservation of king and kingdom. And whether, from the circumstances of danger that appears to king and kingdom now, there is not the same reason to suppose, it may be as acceptable to his majesty now, as to the queen then, and to be as well approved by the approaching parliament now, as by that parliament then? especially since the late parliament's votes are so leading and obliging thereto, viz.

Sunday, May 11, 1679.

Resolved, nemine contradicente, that in defence of the king's person, and the Protestant religion, this house doth declare, that they will stand by his majesty with their lives and fortunes; and that if his majesty should come by any violent death (which God forbid) they will revenge it to the utmost on the Papists.

And in their address to the king upon it, May 11, 1679, do further say, viz.

And further to obviate, by the best means we can, all wicked practices against your majesty's person and Protestant religion, whilst any such laws are in preparation and bringing to perfection, we will stand by your majesty with our lives and fortunes, and shall be ready to revenge upon the Papists any violence offered by them to your sacred person; in which we hope your majesty will graciously please to be more assured, as we ourselves are the more encouraged, in that the hearts of all your majesty's Protestant subjects, with the most sincere affection and zeal, join with us herein.