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 17 1923 
 
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THE 
 
 SECRET HISTORY 
 
 :^^f>^ 
 
 O F T H E / ^ °* 
 
 I U'Ji 17 1923 
 
 Rye-Houfe Plot^&i^'^^ 
 
 A N D O F 
 
 Monmouth's Rebellion; 
 
 Written by 
 
 FORD Lord G RET, 
 
 In MDCLXXXV. 
 
 Now firft Publlfhed from a Manufcript (ign*d by 
 himfelf, before the Earl of Sunderland. 
 
 LONDON: 
 Printed for Andrew Millar, in rhc Stuind^ 
 
 MDCCLIV. 
 
 [ Price Two Shillings. ] 
 
Advertifement. 
 
 THE curious and interefling Narrative, 
 contained in the following flieets, 
 has hitherto efcaped the notice of all 
 our writers. The public, therefore, will 
 think itfelf obliged to thofe, who have, 
 now for the firft time, brought fo valuable a 
 memoir to light -, as it explains, at full 
 length, all the moil fecret particulars of 
 what is commonly called the Rye-Houfe Plot ; 
 and of the preparatory ftcps abroad to Mon- 
 moutifs Rebellion, which happened a few 
 years after. 
 
 This account of both thofe mofl remark- 
 able trania^ions was written by the fa- 
 mous Ford Lord Grey^ who had been a prin- 
 cipal ador in both, and while he was ftill 
 a prifoner in the Tower for the part he a6ted 
 in the latter. It is printed, without the Icaft 
 variation, from a manufcript which is a 
 faithful tranfcript of the original, figned by 
 him before the Earl of Sunderland, Prime 
 Minifter to King James the Second-, And his 
 Letter to that Prince, which accompanied the 
 A 2 Narrative, 
 
.ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 Narrative, is here prefixed. It would be im-^ 
 pertinent to fay any thing in recommenda- 
 tion of this anecdote ; which every intelli- 
 gent reader will be eager to fee, both on ac- 
 count of the fubjedl, in itfelf extremely af- 
 fefting i and of the writer, who was twice 
 in danger of lofing his head for the fhare 
 he had in the confpiracies he defcribcs. 
 
 ERRATA. 
 
 ?a^i 1 6, after was put a CommaJ 
 
 17, for Mildway, r. Mildmay. 
 
 44 Sc 47, for Cochram, r. Cochran. 
 62, for Clerc, r. Clives. 
 
 99, for Lynn, r. Lyme. 
 
Lord G R E Y ' s Letter 
 
 T O 
 
 King JAMES II, 
 
 May it plea fe your Majefiy^ 
 
 pAVlNG received your Ma- 
 jefty's command by my 
 lord Lumley, that I fhould 
 in writing acquaint you 
 with all I know of the defigned re- 
 bellion ill your Majefty's brother's 
 time, the late King ; and with the 
 correfpondence the late Duke of Mon- 
 mouth held in England, in order to 
 his rebellion againft your Majefty (in 
 which I was unfortunately engaged, 
 and in my heart do iincerely repent 
 of) I have, in obedience to your Ma- 
 jefty, given you the fulleft account I 
 
 can : 
 
[ vi] 
 
 can : and call God to witncfs (in 
 whofe hands I am) that I have not 
 wilfully concealed any thing from 
 you, that I think of the leaft import- 
 ance for your Majefty to know ; and 
 this I have done to make the beft re- 
 paration I can both to God and your 
 Majefty, for my fin againft him in my 
 rebellion againft you. Had the fear of 
 death been an inducement to me, I 
 fhould have followed the example of 
 thofe who ha¥e made difcoveries ; hut 
 I did not think it becam.e me to treat 
 with your Majefty, nor to afk that of 
 you which I could have no pretenfi- 
 ons to. If the fhedding my blood 
 can be for your Majefty's intereft, I 
 fhall be very willing, to part with it ; 
 and only defire I may have the fatis- 
 fadion to know that it will be an 
 atonement for the crimes I have com- 
 mitted againft you : but if your Ma- 
 jefty, out of your great clemency, fhall 
 think ht to fave me, I hope you will 
 
 believe 
 
[ vii] 
 
 believe that (befides the ties of ho- 
 nour, juftice, and gratitude) my own 
 inclination will ever obhge me to fa- 
 crifice the life you give to your fer- 
 vice, when you pleafe to command 
 it. I lie, Sir, at your Majefty's feet, 
 where tho' I cannot expeft, yet it is a 
 pleafure to beg for mercy : the con- 
 fideration of myfelf deftroys all hopes 
 of that kind, but the obfervation of 
 your Majefty's univerfal goodnefs af- 
 fords me many. I pray God blefs 
 your Majefty with a long and happy 
 reign over your people ; and may all 
 thofe perifh that ever lift up a thought 
 againft your Majefty's life, or for the 
 difturbing of the peace of your go- 
 vernment. 
 
 Your Majefty s 
 
 mofi unfortunate fubjeSij 
 
 FORD GREY. 
 
THE 
 
 CONFESSION 
 
 O F 
 
 FORD Lord Grey. 
 
 SOME fliort time after the bill of ex- 
 clufion had met with the fate it defer- 
 ved, in the houfe of lords, the duke 
 of Monmouth, my lord Shaftfoury, my lord 
 Ruflel, and myfelf, being together at Tha- 
 net houfe (as we often were about that 
 time) there began a difcourfe amongfl us 
 upon the rejecting that bill ; and tho' it be 
 impoffible for me to repeat wliat each man 
 faid, vet I well remember it was the opi- 
 nion of all, that the king would never fuf- 
 fer that bill to pafs the houfe of lords, unlefs 
 compelled to it ; and that all thofe, who had 
 appeared for it, in the two houfcs of pariia- 
 
 B ment, 
 
 0U»0 
 
[ 2 ] 
 
 mcnt> were marked out for deflruflion, if 
 ever your majefly came to the crown. After 
 fome difcourfe of that kind I remember my 
 lord Shaftfbury expreffed himfelf to this 
 purpofe : Thart it was our own faults, if we 
 did not obtain that bill, and feveral other 
 things, of the king, which the people of 
 England had fet their hearts upon j for there 
 was a great ferment in the kingdom, occafi- 
 oned by the many prorogations, and dilTolu- 
 tions of parliaments, and other artifices ufed 
 to ftifle the popiili plot, and prevent the ex- 
 ecution of juflice on thofe concerned in it j 
 and by the lords throwing out the bill of ex- 
 clufion 5 which all thinking men looked 
 upon as the king's aft, and did believe him 
 to be in all parts of the popifh plot except 
 the murder of himfelf, which he did not 
 think was intended, knowing the papifls 
 were well affured of his zeal to their re- 
 ligion: That we had committed a great 
 error in being fo long a fcreen between 
 the king and the houfe of commons, w^ho 
 once were ready and willing to have laid him 
 open to his people, and had done it, if they 
 had not been prevented, and that chiefly by 
 himfelf (of which he heartily repented) 
 but that being over, it was now time to look 
 
 forwards, 
 
 4 
 
[ 3 ] 
 
 forwards, and think of faving ourfelves, 
 and thofe who had been concerned with us 
 in the profecution of the popifh plot, and the 
 bill of exclufion : That he thought it no 
 difficult matter, if the duke of Monmouth, 
 my lord RuiTel, and others of quahty and 
 intereft in the kingdom, did jointly apply 
 themfelves to the taking up of arms ; which 
 infallibly would have this confequence (with- 
 out any danger to us) that the king would 
 condefccnd to a compliance with the defires 
 of his people in parliament, and facrifice 
 a hundred brothers rather than hazard his 
 crown ; fo well was he acquainted with the 
 temper of the king. This fort of difcourfe 
 we often heard from my lord Shaftjfbury, 
 without intending ever to follow his advice, 
 and did divert ourfelves with the pains he 
 took to incline us to a rebellion, who gave 
 him no encouragement, at that time, to ex- 
 pe6t it from us. The firft time that ever 
 we entered upon methodifing an inliirredi- 
 on, was (to the beft of my remembrance) 
 bccafioned by the news of the king's fecond 
 ficknefs at Windfor, which came to the 
 duke of Monmouth at Locket's, by Mr. 
 Pope, who was juft come from Windfor. 
 Sir Thomas Armftrong and myfelf were then 
 B a at 
 
[ 4 ] 
 
 at dinner with the duke of Monmouth, and 
 we all three went immediately to my lord 
 Shaftftury's, where we had fevcral difcour- 
 fes, what we fliould do if the king died. It 
 was at laftrefolved, we iliould meet again in 
 the evening, and that my lord Ruffel fliould 
 be appointed to be there : and in the mean 
 time my lord Shaftfbury undertook to dif- 
 courfe the leading men in the city, and to 
 acquaint us with their thoughts and refolu- 
 tions. Accordingly about feven o* clock that 
 night, the duke of Monmouth, lord Ruffel, 
 Sir Thomas Armftrong, and myfelf came to 
 my lord Shaftfbury : his lordfliip affured us, 
 he had difcourfed many of the eminent men 
 in the city, who were all willing to rife if 
 the king died, provided the duke of Mon- 
 mouth, my lord Ruffel, and himfelf would 
 affift in the city with them -, for, they faid, 
 the whole force of the court would be upon 
 them, and therefore all our flrength ought 
 to be there alfo. While we were difcourfing, 
 major Manly came from Wapping, where 
 he had been by order of my lord Shaftfbury, 
 and gave his lordfhip a good account of their 
 readinefs to rife. I cannot remember the 
 many propofals were made, as to the man- 
 ner of our rifing, but the refult of all was, 
 
 that 
 
[ 5 ] 
 
 that we fliould rife with our friends In the 
 city, in cafe the king died, and declare for a 
 parhament to fettle the kingdom, and to de- 
 clare the defcent of the crown ; till which time 
 we would continue in arms for the prefervation 
 of the proteftant intereft, and fjfety of our- 
 felves, and thofe in arms with us. It was alfo 
 refolvedthat a mefienger fl:iould conftantly go 
 between London and Windfor, to give us 
 an account of the king's condition (which 
 my lord Shaftfbury undertook to manage) 
 and that the duke of Monmouth, and all of 
 us, fhould lodge that night in the city pri- 
 vately, and conftantly dofo during th? king's 
 ficknefs ; but all day appear publickly as at 
 other times. Whether that refolution was fol- 
 lowed or not by the reft, I know not, I lay 
 conftantly at home ; but this I am confident 
 of, that the duke of Monmouth's arms were 
 lent to one Mr. Bateman's a chirurgeon, 
 whofe houfe my lord Shaftfbury recom- 
 mended to the duke of Monmouth for a 
 lodging. The king's recovery put an end 
 to our defign, and to our further continuance 
 at that time. Now whether the king's fick- 
 nefs (which occafioned thefe our difcourfcs 
 and refolutions) happened before the Oxford 
 parliament, or after, I cannot determine ; I 
 B 3 iiint 
 
[6] 
 
 think it was before, about the latter end of 
 February, or beginning of March, juft be- 
 fore the Oxford parhament. The duke of 
 Monmouth writ to me into Suffex, defiring 
 me to come immediately to town, for that 
 he had fome bufinefs with me of importance. 
 Upon the receipt of his letter I went to 
 London, and waited on him : he told me 
 that his fending for me, was to acquaint 
 me, that my lord Shaftfbury, my lord Mac- 
 clesfield, my lord Ruflel, and himfelf, did 
 not intend to be at the opening of the Ox- 
 ford parliament, but refolved to continue in 
 Londofi ; and defired that I would alfo ftay 
 with them. I afked him the reafon of this 
 refolution ; he anfwered, they were all well 
 affurcd, the king did defign to fecure us at 
 Oxford, and feveral others ; but if we 
 ftaid in London, it might make him change 
 his intention, or if not, and he did attempt 
 to feize us there, we had friends enough to 
 ftand by us. I afked him how he could be 
 fure of that ; he replied, he was fully fatis- 
 fied of it, and when I faw my lord Shafts- 
 bury, I would be fo too. In a day or two 
 after I waited on him, to my lord Shaftfbu- 
 ry's, where my lord gave me the fame ac- 
 count the duke of Monmouth had done, and 
 
 added 
 
[ 7 ] 
 
 added further, that he had beftirrcd hirnfelf 
 in the city, and was well affured of leveral 
 thoufands there, whenever the duke of 
 Monmouth, my lord Ruffel, and himfclf, 
 appeared with their fwords in their hands, 
 and brifk boys they were too. I afked my 
 lord, if he thought his brifk boys (as he 
 call'd them) and thofe who mult raife them 
 for him, would ventiire their lives, whenthere 
 v/as no necefiity for it, to fave only four or 
 five men ? My lord anfwcred me (his words 
 I cannot undertake to repeat, but the fub- 
 ftance of his reply was to this fcnfe) that it 
 would not be only the caufe of the duke of 
 Monmouth, himfelf, and four or five more, 
 but the caufe of all England ; for he and 
 others knew the liberty of parliaments would 
 be invaded at Oxford, for that the king did 
 refolve not only to fecure us, but all the emi- 
 nent men of the houfe of commons who 
 had been zealous in the profecution of the 
 popifh plot, and for the bill of exclufiQn ; 
 but, he believed, if we continued in town, the 
 king would be alarmed, and would not have 
 courage enough to venture upon our friends, 
 I told his lordfhip, if he were of that opi- 
 nion, I wondered at his (lay in London ; for 
 if it proved true, and that the king was de- 
 
 B 4 terr(?d 
 
[ 8 ] 
 
 terred by our continuance in town, from a 
 violent feizure of our friends (as lie ima- 
 gined) there would be no occaiion given for 
 the rifing he intended, and then we were 
 expofed to danger enough 3 for that the 
 king would certainly induftrioufly enquire 
 into the caufe of our flaying, and in all pro- 
 bability difcover it, among fuch a number as 
 unavoidably muft be trufted in an affair of 
 that nature. My lord replied, I did not fee 
 the bottom of his defign (in that I agreed with 
 his lordfliip,) nor know all the reafons and 
 intentions of cur flaying in town, and there- 
 fore he would acquaint me ; v/hich he di4 
 te this effedt : That a great number of thofe 
 gentlemen who had been for the bill of ex- 
 clufion, in the Weftminfter parliaments, 
 were chofen for that which was to meet at 
 Oxford, and that moil of the landed men 
 amongft them were determined not to be 
 diffolved, but when they found a diffolution 
 nigh, to adjourn to London, where we 
 fhould be ready to ftand by them. That 
 they intended to begin the feffions with the 
 bill of exclufion, and to refolve to proceed[ 
 to no other bufmefs, till they had obtained 
 that bill, there being nothing elfe which 
 could fecure the protellant religion after his 
 '' • " ^ majefty's 
 
[ 9 ] 
 
 majefty's life. This bold ftcp of tlieirs, 
 and our continuance in London, his lordrtiip 
 faid, would frighten the king into a compli- 
 ance ; but if it did not, the houfe of com- 
 fnons could not break with the king upon a 
 better point, and they would make it good at 
 London. Many difcourfes and arguments 
 did arife upon what my lord had faid, which 
 I cannot remember, but the fubflance of the 
 Oxford defign at that time I have repeated, 
 I mean, all my lord told me of. 
 
 A fewdays after the duke of Monmouth told 
 me the intention of flaying in London was al- 
 tered, for that my lord Shaftfbury, my lord 
 Ruffel, and the reft of our friends, were 
 apprehenfive that when the houfe of com- 
 mons adjourned to Guildhall, it would be 
 very difficult for them to get thither, the 
 king intending to fend to Oxford a confide- 
 rable number of horfc and foot guards, and 
 therefore it was better to make ourfelves as 
 ftrong as we could at Oxford, by drawing 
 thither as many gentlemen, and others, 
 who were our friends, as we could, to the 
 end that if fome of the lords, and a good 
 number of the commons, had courage 
 enough to fit after a diflblution (as my lord 
 Shaftlbury did aflTure him, and lie did be- 
 lieve 
 
[ 10 3 
 
 lieve they would) we might ftand by them. 
 Soon after this difcourfe, the duke of Mon- 
 mouth, my lord ML;cclesfield, myfelf, and 
 m;^ny others (and I think my lord Har- 
 burt) went down to Oxford together. The 
 parliament had fat three or four days be- 
 fore we came. While we continued there 
 (it is not, I believe^ unknown to your majefty) 
 the duke of Monmouth, lord Bedford, my 
 lord of EfTex, and many other lords, kept 
 a publick table, to which we every day in- 
 vited feveral of the houfe of commons, and 
 by that means had often opportunities of 
 difcourfing with them, without great obfer- 
 vation. What paffed between them at the 
 many conferences they had, I know not, 
 nor was I inquifitive to be informed, till one 
 morning my lord Shaftlbury gave me an op- 
 portunity : I lodged in the fame houfe with 
 him, and waiting on his lordihip^ in his 
 chamber, the morning before the diflblutionj 
 he told me with great joy, that the rejeding the 
 impeachment of Fitzharris, and the inten- 
 tion the houfe of lords vifibly had to dif- 
 charge my lord Danby without a trial, vvere 
 the two happieft things for us, which could 
 have happened ; for they had fo fired the 
 houfe of commons, that very many of the 
 
 members 
 
[ 'i ] 
 
 members had affured him, they would venture 
 their lives rather than lofe their right of im- 
 peaching, and were fure the generality of the 
 houfe would ftand by them ; and if the 
 king (upon the heats, which were likely to 
 arife between the two houfes) fliould dif- 
 folve them, there were enough in their houfe 
 would lit, if but a fmall number of the 
 lords would do the like. I told his lordfhip, 
 I was not fo delighted with the project, as 
 he fcemed to be, believing it would be the 
 deftru6lion of us, and might be of very ill 
 confequence to the kingdom ; for the king 
 having a con fiderable force in and about Ox- 
 ford would foon pull us out by the ears : upon 
 which my lord faid, he knew I could not be 
 afraid, "and therefore wondred I was fo cool, 
 when there was fuch profpedl of fuccefs. I 
 told him, I thought I was as little acquaint- 
 ed with fear as any body, however, was not 
 fond of a hot-headed adlion. My lord re- 
 pHed, he knew the king better than I did, 
 and was fure he would run from Oxford, as 
 from a houfe on fire, if we had but refolu- 
 tion enough to fit after a diflblution : but fup- 
 pofing him to have courage enough to attack 
 us, we were twice as flrong as he was, 
 having drawn a great number of gentlemen 
 
 thither 
 
[ ^2 ] 
 
 thither with their fervants -, that the parlia- 
 ment men had many fervants ; the townfmen 
 were all well inclined to us, and the fcholars 
 of the univerfity (who were not generally 
 our friends) had left their chambers for 
 the ufe of the members j that amongft the 
 foot guards, he was fure, there were many 
 who wiflied us well ; and moft of them 
 would be afraid to meddle with us, when 
 we took upon us the authority of a parlia- 
 ment. I feemed fatisfied with my lord's 
 reafons, which ended our difcourfe for that 
 time : but the fame day in the afternoon 
 (which I take to be a Sunday, but am fure 
 it was the day before the diifolution) I Was 
 fent for to the duke of Monmouth : when I 
 came in, I found there the duke of Mon- 
 mouth, my lord of ElTex, my lord Shafts- 
 bury (and I am very confident my lord 
 Salilbury :) they were difcourfing upon the 
 fame fubjecS my lord Shaftftury had enter- 
 tained me with in the rnorning. I cannot re- 
 peat their feveral difcourfes, but I remember 
 it was the opinion of all, that the heats, 
 which would be between the two houfes, 
 muft occafion a diifolution in four or five 
 days 3 and that the houfe of commons were 
 warm enough to fit afterwards, which they 
 
 were 
 
[ ^3 ] 
 
 were well affurcd of by feveral of the mem- 
 bers, and were alfo of my lord Shaftfbury's 
 opinion, that we had ftrength enough in 
 Oxford to fupport us, and that the king 
 would never make trial of it, but leave Ox- 
 ford as fad as he could : it was therefore re- 
 folved by us, that we would continue in 
 our houfe, if the commons kept their words 
 with us (which we did not doubO and we 
 did believe a good number of lords would 
 ftay with us 5 but we thought it inconvenient 
 to propofe it to many of them till the time. 
 The duke of Monmouth was deiired to engage 
 Mr. Montague (who could bring in Sir Wil- 
 liam Jones with him) which he undertook, 
 and to the beft of my remembrance, did 
 that evening difcourfe with him in his cham- 
 ber upon it. The next morning the diffo- 
 lution furprized us all : however, purfuant to 
 our refolution, we got feveral lords to ftay in 
 the houfe, under the pretence of figning a 
 proteftatlon againft the rejedling Fitzharris's 
 impeachment, and, as we managed it, were 
 near an hour about it. During that time, 
 feveral meflengers were fent to our friends of 
 the houfe of commons, to let them know 
 we were in our houfe, and expcded the 
 performance of their words ; but moft of 
 
 them 
 
[ 14 ] 
 
 them could iiot be found ; thofe that were^ 
 anfwered us only with fhaking their heads, 
 and foon after we heard the commons houfc 
 was empty 5 upon which we went away. 
 After the diflblution of the Oxford parlia- 
 ment we were all very peaceably inclined, 
 and nothing paffcd amongft us that fummer 
 of importance, which I can call to mind : I 
 think my lord Shaftfbury was fent to the 
 Tower juft before the long vacation 5 and 
 the duke of Monmouth, Mr. Montague, 
 Sir Thomas Armftrong, and myfelf, went 
 to Tunbridgc immediately after his lord- 
 fhip's imprifonment, where we laid afide the 
 thoughts of difturbing the peace of the go- 
 vernment, for thofe of diverting ourfelves* 
 The November follcvvving, my lord being 
 releafed, I thought our former fpirit of re- 
 bellion would be revived ; but whether it 
 was in others or not, I cannot fay, being 
 the remainder of that winter confined to 
 my own houfe by a fit of ficknefs. The 
 fummer following I was told by Sir Thomas 
 Armftrong, that my lord Argyll had been in 
 town, and had feen my lord Shaftfbury, and 
 that they had difcourfed of a rifing in Eng- 
 land and Scotland, and that my lord Argyll 
 had demanded thirty thoufand pounds, and 
 
 afterwards 
 
[ '5 ] 
 
 afterwards fell to fifteen, with which fum 
 he would undertake to make fufficient pro- 
 vifions for a war in Scotland ; but that thefe 
 propofals ended in nothing, my lord Shafts- 
 bury being all that time fufpicious of my 
 lord Argyll. The fame intelligence was after- 
 wards confirmed to me by the duke of Mon- 
 mouth, and my lord Shaftfbury. Nothing 
 worth mentioning came under our confidera- 
 tion that fummer (that I know of) till 
 about the time of eleding the flieriffs for 
 London andMiddlefex^ whether juft before or 
 after, I cannot fay, but I think it was after 
 Midfummer day, that the duke of Mon- 
 mouth, lord Shaftfbury, Lord Ruflel, Sir 
 Thomas Armftrong, and myfelf, had a 
 meeting at Thanet houfe, where feveral dif- 
 courfes pafs'd of the great heats in the city, 
 and of the flieriff's who were to be impofed 
 (as our phrafe then was) upon it; upon 
 which it was faid (and I think by my lord 
 Shaftfbury) that it was happy for us, our 
 friends in London now faw their necks in 
 danger, and that there was a necefTity of 
 havin'g recourfe to arms, if they would 
 fave themfelves. I remember I faw plainly 
 at that time, that my lord Shaftfbury, the 
 duke of Monmouthj and the lord Ruflel 
 
 did 
 
[ 16 ] 
 
 did relblve induftrioufly to apply themfelves 
 to an infurreclion, thinking ferioufly that 
 they were in great danger, and that their 
 friends in the city were not lefs apprehenfive 
 of their own. We had many meetings after 
 this; tedious difcourfes, and innumerable pro- 
 pofals, but at laft the method they agreed on 
 for putting their defign of a rebellion in 
 execution, was as follows : That my lord 
 Shaftfbury and my lord Ruffel iliould dif- 
 courfe the leading men in the city of our 
 party, and find how they were inclined to a 
 rifing, upon the affurance of being feconded 
 in other parts of the kingdom ; that my lord 
 Ruffel fhould try the inclinations of Sir Wil- 
 liam Courtney, Sir Francis Rowles, Sir 
 Walter Young, Sir Francis Drake and (by 
 the means of Mr. Freake) how the gentry 
 of the weftcrn counties flood affected to 
 the taking up of arms, upon the fuppofition 
 of London's doing the like 5 that the duke of 
 Monmouth fhould go a progrefs into Che- 
 fhire, under the fhelter of fome fair pre- 
 tence, where he might be advifed by my 
 lord Macclesfield, my lord Delamere, that 
 then was my lord Brandon, and Mr. Booth, 
 what gentlemen of their country were to 
 be intrufted with our fecrets, and would affift 
 
 us 
 
[ '7 ] 
 
 US in our undertaking, and accordingly dif- 
 courfe with them ; that I fhould go into 
 Effex, and be affifted by colonel Mildway 
 and Mr. Rotheram in preparing thofe we 
 could truft for the feconding of London. I 
 refufed the employment, and told them, I 
 would venture my life with the duke of 
 Monmouth, wherever his pofl Hiould be, 
 but would not expofe it in EiTex, where 
 there was not five gentlemen I could truft > 
 that for colonel Mildway, he was a formal, 
 timorous blockhead, who defired nothing 
 in this world, but being knight of the fliire -, 
 and would never venture his perfon beyond a 
 riot, nor in that neither, but to carry his 
 eleftion. My lord Shaftfbury prefied mc all 
 he could to a compliance, and propofed 
 other perfons in EiTex to me, but I abfo- 
 lutely refufed to concern myfelf there, and 
 kept my refolution. We all agreed at part- 
 ing, that when the duke of Monmouth re- 
 turned from Chefhirc (by which time my 
 lord RufTel would be able to give an account 
 of the Weft) we would fix the time and 
 manner of our rifing, and which place 
 fliould begin firft. Purfuantto the refolutions 
 above mentioned, n:iy lord RuiTel fpoke. 
 with Sir Francis Rowles, and Sir Walter 
 
 B Young, 
 
[ i8 ] 
 
 Young, and found both of them as forward 
 to engage as himfelf : Sir Walter Young he 
 fent to Sir William Courtney, and to Sir 
 Francis Drake : Mr. Freake was alfo diredled 
 by him to difcourfe Sir Francis Drake, and 
 other weftern gentlemen, but who they were 
 I know not : the duke of Monmouth either 
 fent to, or fpoke with Mr. Trenchard, who 
 undertook to raife 1500 men at leaft, in and 
 about Taunton. The feveral anfwers of thefe 
 gentlemen, and the account Mr. Trenchard 
 afterwards gave of Taunton, I fhall fpeak 
 of in its proper place. About the beginning 
 of September, the duke of Monmouth went 
 for Chefliire, and in his return to London 
 about fourteen days after, was feized by a 
 meffenger -, which I heard firft from Sir 
 Thomas Armftrong, who came to me the 
 morning he came to town, and told me the 
 duke of Monmouth was a prifoner, and had 
 lent him to town before him, to get him a 
 Habeas co7'pus ; that he had alfo bufmefs of 
 great importance with my lord Shaftfbury, 
 my lord Ruffel, and myfelf, which he was 
 commanded bv the duke of Monmouth to 
 impart to us. I went with him immediately 
 to my lord Shaftfbury's, where we found his 
 lordfhip in his garden and colonel Rumfey 
 
 with 
 
[ »9 ] 
 
 With him. Sir Thomas gave them the fame 
 account of his coming to town, as he had 
 done me, and deUvered this following mef- 
 fage from the duke of Monmouth : That 
 he was commanded by him to acquaint my 
 lord Shaftfbury, my lord Ruflel, and me, 
 that he had been mod extraordinary well 
 received by the gentry of Chefhire, and 
 that thofe he had difcourfed with, had givea 
 him full fatisfadlion, and as good an ac- 
 count of that country, as his heart could de- 
 fire ; and that at the time of his being taken 
 a prifoner by the meffenger, all the gentle- 
 men who were with him, offered to draw 
 their fwords and rife with him inftantly, but 
 he prevented them, and that with great dif- 
 ficulty, being relblved to do nothing of fo 
 great importance, without the approbation 
 of his lordfhip, and thofe he had fent to : 
 That he intended to travel flowly towards 
 London, that he might receive their advice, 
 whether he (hould come on, or make an 
 efcape from the meflenger, and return into 
 Chefhire, and rife there. My lord Shaftfbury 
 replied, the duke of Monmouth was an un- 
 fortunate man, for God had thrice put it into 
 his power to fave England, and make him- 
 felf the greatcfl man in Europe > but he had 
 
 B 2 negledled 
 
[ 20 ] 
 
 neglefled the ufe of all thofe opportunities ; 
 one was in Scotland, when he was general, 
 the other in the Weft, and now in Cheshire. 
 His lordiliip fpent fome time in difcourfing of 
 the advice he had formerly given the duke 
 of Monmouth, when he went for Scotland, 
 and into the Weft 5 but being defired to look 
 no longer backward, but think what was to 
 be done at prefent, and of his anfwer to the 
 "duke of Monmouth, he faid he would fend 
 for my lord Ruffel, and that himfelf and 
 my lord would go into the city, anddifcourfe 
 with their friends, and meet us at South- 
 ampton houfe, at feven o' clock that even- 
 ing. Sir Thomas replied, he fhould not 
 ftay in town fo long, having found me, but 
 return with the Habeas corpus (which he 
 was to receive at three o' clock) with all the 
 fpeed he could ; for that the duke of Mon- 
 mouth commanded him to defire me, if I 
 were in town, to bring him the opinions of 
 my lord Ruffel, and his lordfliip ; and that 
 he would pretend to be fick at St. Albans 
 till I came, if I could not be difpatched fo 
 foon as he expedled j that he alfo com- 
 manded him to affure us all, that we might de- 
 pend upon his acting according to the advice 
 lent liim, as foon as received 3 and therefore 
 
 defired 
 
[ 21 ] 
 
 defired we would confider well, and not 
 think of a fecond meffage to him, for that 
 would be too late, after he had made an ef- 
 cape from the meflenger. Colonel Rumfey 
 was prefent at this difcourfe, and, I am con- 
 fident, cannot but remember it. 
 
 I accepted of the employment the duke of 
 Monmouth was pleafed to beftow upon me. 
 Sir Thomas returned the fame day, and in 
 the evening I met my lord Shaftfbury, and 
 my lord Ruffel, at Southampton houfe, at 
 the time my lord Shaftfbury had appointed. 
 •My lord Shaftfbury began with this account 
 of his fuccefs in the city : That he had fpoke 
 with many of the moft confiderable men, 
 who were all of opinion, that the duke of 
 Monmouth fhould go back into Chefhire, and 
 rife ; and had promifed him they would rife 
 alfo, provided my lord Ruflel would head 
 them : that the city was never fo generally 
 difpofed to an infurreclion, as at that time -, 
 and that they believed a happy occafion 
 would be given them for it, when the king 
 heard of the duke of Monm.outh's being in 
 arms ; for then he w^ould attempt to difarm 
 the city, which opportunity they would lay 
 hold on ; but if he did not venture at it, 
 they would wait till he fent fomc of his 
 B 3 forces 
 
[ " ] 
 
 forces from London, which they thought he 
 would be neceffitated to do ; and then they 
 would rife. My lord added farther, that he 
 had feveral thoufands ready at his command 
 at Wapping, and he would come at the head 
 of them to my lord Ruflbrs affiftance : upon 
 the whole matter, his Iprdfhip faid, it was his 
 opinion, the duke of Monmouth fhould go 
 back into Chefhire, and rife ; and that was 
 his advice to him. My lord Ruflel oppofed 
 it, and faid, he had alfo fpoken with his 
 friends, that fome were of one opinion, 
 others of a contrary ; but that which weighed 
 moft with him was, that he had not yet re- 
 ceived a full account from the Weft, and he 
 thought it madnefs to run headlong into 
 fuch an affair, without tjiking our whole 
 ftrength with us, and perhaps all little 
 enough too ; that we had made no provifion 
 of arms, ammunition, or money ; and tho' 
 London did not want thofe neceffaries, yet 
 he believed Chefhire was bare enough, and 
 was fure the duke of Monmouth could not 
 be fupplied there from London, after he was 
 i^ arms : that the moft neceffary thing of all, 
 in our undertaking, had not yet been thought 
 on ; and that was, a Declaration, which ought 
 ferioufly to be gonfidered and confented to 
 
[ 23 ] 
 
 by thofc noblemen and gentlemen who 
 were to be concerned with us ; and perhaps 
 when we came to debate the heads of 
 one, we might not agree 3 for he had heard his 
 lordlhip fay, that his men were for a com-» 
 inon-wealth, and if that were intended, he 
 would not meddle -, for he thought the Eng- 
 iifh government the beft in the world, and 
 meant not the lead hurt to the king's perfon j 
 and therefore to enter into a war before 
 thefe things were fettled, and without being 
 able to acquaint the world with our rea- 
 fons, and in what it fliould end, was to rife 
 by ourfelves, to be beaten and laughed at for 
 hot-headed fools ; for thefe reafons, his lord^ 
 fnip faid, he could not advife the duke of 
 Monmouth to go back into Chefliire. My 
 lord Shaftfbury argued for fome time with great 
 heat with my lord Ruffel, but neither of 
 them changed the advice they had given ; 
 whereupon I told them I would acquaint 
 the duke of Monmouth with their different 
 opinions, and their feveral reafons, and did 
 believe the confequcnce of it would be his 
 coming to town 5 and fo I left them : but my 
 lord Shaftlbury followed mc out, and taking 
 jne afide, expreffed himfelf in thefe very 
 word : My lord Ruffel is too wary and ti- 
 
 J3 ^ morous 
 
C 24] 
 
 morous a man for fuch an undertaking as 
 ours ; and if the duke of Monmouth follows 
 his advice, and comes to London, he is a 
 loft man, for I know he will be fent to the 
 Tower, and never come from thence; there- 
 fore, my lord Grey, if you wifh well to the 
 duke of Monmouth, to the proteftant intcreft, 
 to yourfelf, and all us that are concerned, 
 you muft cheat the duke of Monmouth this 
 time, and tell him, it is the advice of my 
 lord Rufiel, myfelf, and all his friends 
 in the city, that he go back into Chefliire : 
 nothing but that can fave England, and it 
 now depends upon you. I was ftrangely 
 furprifed at my lord's difcourfe, but made 
 him this anfwer : That (as he faid) the pre- 
 fervation of the proteftant intereft, the good 
 of England, fafety of ourfelves, did depend 
 upon the meflage I /hould deliver the duke of 
 Monmouth, they were fufficient arguments 
 to me for the fpeaking truth ; for then I 
 could neither reproach myfelf, nor be con- 
 demned by others, whatever the event were^ 
 and that being trufted by the duke of Mon- 
 mouth, I would not deceive him in any thing, 
 much lefs in a matter of that weight, if I 
 thought it were to his own advantage. My 
 lord was very angry with me, and I am con- 
 fident 
 
[ 25 ] 
 
 fident never forgave me after. I parted from 
 his lordfhip (whom I left in a great heat) and 
 went to the duke of Monmouth's (tables, 
 where his fervant John Gibbons waited for 
 me^_ We two went down that night to St. 
 Albans : there I found the duke of Mon- 
 mouth, and gave him an exadl account of 
 all before mentioned, except my lord Shafts- 
 bury's private advice to me, which I con- 
 cealed, believing my lord deligned it a fccret, 
 unlefs I followed it, and fuccefs attended it: 
 The duke of Monmouth, Mr. Levefon 
 Gower, and other Chefhire gentlemen, went 
 the next morning for London : and what 
 followed thereupon, I fuppofe, is well known 
 unto your majefty. Soon after the duke of 
 Monmouth had his liberty, my lord Ruflel 
 and I waited on him to my lord Shaftfbu- 
 ry's, I know not exadly the time, but I 
 think it was very near the end of September; 
 but this I am fure of, that I never faw my 
 lord Shaftfbury after that time. My lord did 
 then acquaint the duke of Monmouth with 
 the trick he had advifed me to play him 
 (believing I had done fo before, which in- 
 deed I had not) and did juftify the advice 
 he had given for the duke of Monniouih's 
 return into Chefnire, faying, that if he had 
 
 riicu 
 
[26 ] 
 
 rifen there, he would have feconded him in 
 London with ten thoufand men which he 
 had ready at his command ; but that now 
 the opportunity of Cheshire beiug loft, we 
 muft depend fingly upon a riling in London, 
 of which there was an immediate neceffity ; 
 unlefs we were willing to fee our whole in- 
 tereft difmayed, and at laft be hanged our- 
 felves. My lord Ruftel being a little moved, 
 defired to know what his lordfhip meant, by 
 hurrying us on thus to an infurredion in 
 London, without the concurrence of the 
 country, as was formerly agreed by us ; and 
 faid, that he had received but a doubtful an- 
 fwer from Sir William Courtney, and had 
 therefore fent to him again : that all our 
 friends in the weftern countries v/ere not 
 yet prepared for adion, but would be in a 
 fhort time ; therefore he defired his lordfliip 
 to have a little patience, ^nd not to let his 
 fears fo far tranfport him, as to ruin himfelf 
 and friends. My lord Shaftft)ury (in the great- 
 eft paffion I ever faw) replied, that patience 
 would be our deftrudlon, and that if we did 
 not rife in a week at fartheft, we were all 
 undone, for that he had made fuch prepara- 
 tion for a rifing in London, as would in- 
 fallibly be difcoyered if time were loft ; 
 
 therefore 
 
[ 27 ] 
 
 therefore he was refolved, fince he faw him- 
 felf forfaken by us, to ftand upon his own 
 legs, ad: by himfelf, and have the honour 
 offavmg the kingdom. Upon which I re-r 
 member the duke of Monmouth whifpered 
 me in the ear, and faid, my lord's ading 
 would be running away ; and afked my lord 
 where his ten thoufand men were quartered. 
 My lord anfwered, he would tell no man that, 
 but he f]:iould fee them at Whitehall gates 
 before he was many days older. After many 
 other difcourfes, and rallying my lord with 
 his invliible army (till he was extremely 
 angry v/ith us) v/e left him, and did ferioufly 
 conclude him to be half diflraded, but not 
 fo mad as to rife by himfelf. A few days 
 after this meeting, I heard my lord was 
 withdrawn from his houfe, and did believe 
 he was gone beyond fea, till Sir Thomas 
 Armftrong told me he was privately in Lon- 
 don, and he believed with a defign to rife. 
 About the latter end of Odober, the duke 
 of Monmouth told me lord Shaftfbury 
 would undo us all, for he found he did feri- 
 oufly refolve to rife, and would not be put 
 off from it, and therefore we muft come 
 in to him ; and in order to it, he thought 
 it Decelfiry for us to view the pafTagc into the 
 
 city ^ 
 
[ 28 ] 
 
 city ; which accordingly himfelf, Sir Tho- 
 mas Armftrong, and I, did, from the lower end 
 of Fleet-ditch next the river, to the other end 
 of it, by Snow-hill. A fhort time after this 
 Sir Thomas Armftrong came to me (it was 
 either at the end of Odtober or the beginning 
 of November) and told me the duke of 
 Monmouth defired I would meet him, and 
 my lord Ruffel, that evening at a friend of 
 theirs in the city, one Mr. Sheppard's, and 
 that he would conduft me thither. I con- 
 fented to it, and Sir Thomas diredted me 
 to go to a linen-draper's over againfl: the 
 Temple, and enquire for Mr. Trenchard, who 
 lodged there (I did not know before he was 
 in town) and defired me to be in his cham- 
 ber between fix and feven o' clock, at which 
 time he would call upon me. I went accord- 
 ing to hisdireclions, and found Mr. Trenchard 
 in his chamber, who entertained me with a 
 good account of our affairs in the Weft:, and 
 particularly about Taunton, where he faid 
 there was a general inclination to an infur- 
 reclion. Sir Thomas came to us near the 
 time appointed, and by his difcourfe with 
 Mr. Trenchard I found he knew of the 
 meeting that v/as to be that night at Mr. Shep- 
 pard's, and had promifed to be there : he 
 
 faid, 
 
C 29 J 
 
 faid, he fuppofed we (liould not come to a re- 
 folution, and at the next he would not fail 
 us. Sir Thomas and I left him, and went to 
 Mr. Sheppard's, where we found colonel 
 Rumfey, Mr. Sheppard, and Mr. Fergufon. 
 About half an hour after us came in the duke 
 of Monmouth and my lord Ruflel : after 
 fome general difcourfe among us, of what 
 had pafs'd at my lord Shaftibury's the laft time 
 we had a meeting there, Mr, Fergufon be- 
 gan a difcourfe to this purpofe : That he had 
 the honour very lately to fee my lord ShaftC 
 bury, who had commanded him to put us 
 in mind, that fome time ago, when the duke 
 of Monmouth, my lord Ruflel, his lordfhip, 
 and myfelf, had a meeting at his houfe, we 
 did agree to apply ourfelves to the caufmg 
 three infurredtions in this kingdom, one in 
 London, another in Chefhire, and the other 
 in the Wefl ; that London was afligned him 
 as his province, and in purfuance of that 
 agreement he did make fuch preparation 
 for a rifing in London, as he thought very 
 formidable, and did often acquaint us with 
 it, but obferved we gave little credit to 
 him ; that in the management of this af- 
 fair, he had been neceffitated to truft his life 
 in many, which expofcd him and the whole 
 
 intereft 
 
I 30 J 
 
 intereft to the danger of a difcovery, if 
 adlion were long delayed, and to it he found 
 great coldnefs in us, the laft time he faw us, 
 our whole difcourfe tending to nothing but 
 delaying the time longer, and that too with-* 
 out any certainty of riling at laft ; therefore 
 he had withdrawn from his houfe, refolving 
 to hazard his life upon the intereft he had in 
 the city, which he thought fufficient for 
 his purpofe : but above all things did defire 
 there might be a perfed: good underftanding 
 between us all 5 and that we would come 
 in to his afTiftance, which would make the 
 fuccefs more certain, otherwife he fhould be 
 forced to a6t without us. The duke of Mon- 
 mouth and my lord Rulfel both told Mr. Fer- 
 gufon, they were very willing to engage with 
 my lord, if the ftrength he had was confi- 
 derable enough for fuch an undertaking : 
 that they had often heard of my lord's ten 
 thoufand brifk boys, but did not know 
 where to find them -, and therefore dclircd 
 him to acquaint them what number of men 
 my lord was furc of to begin his bufinefs, 
 and where they were ; and how they were 
 provided with arms. Mr. Fergufon replied, 
 it was impoffible for him or any man to 
 name where every individual man lived of 
 
 fuch 
 
[3. ] 
 
 fuch a number, unlefs they were a formed 
 force and enlifted, but that being impra^fti- 
 cable in our cafe, the method my lord Shafts- 
 bury had taken was this ; his lordfhip liad 
 fifteen or iixteen gentlemen of his ac- 
 quaintance, in and about the city (on whofe 
 honefly and words he could depend) who 
 had undertaken to bring in fo many hundreds 
 each man (at fuch a time as fhould be 
 agreed on) which number being caft up, 
 amounted to five thoufand men ; and 
 that he thought a fufiicient number to begin 
 withal, and did not doubt but in few hours 
 after to have five times as many more : 
 that feveral of thofe gentlemen who were 
 engaged with my lord (and had promifed 
 the affiftance of men) were known to hia 
 grace, and my lord RufTel, and fhould wait 
 on them, and give them the fame aflurance, 
 if they diftrufted the account he had given, 
 or defired to fpeak with them upon it : that 
 for arms, they had got fome, md knew 
 where to have more -, that he himfelf had 
 purchafed feveral cannon and three field car- 
 riages which were all buried ; he added far- 
 ther, that if we thought fit to affifl: my lord, 
 wemuft agreeupon a time, and that fpeedily ; 
 for my lord was ready for adlion, and very 
 
 impatient, 
 
[32 3 
 
 impatient. After fome confideratlon, many 
 queftlons and anfwers, the duke of Mon- 
 mouth, my lord Ruffel, and myfelf, rcfol- 
 ved to engage with my lord ; and that all the 
 ftrcngth we could make fl:iould be with us 
 in the city, except our weilern intereft : and 
 then we began to difcourfe the manner and 
 time of our riling, and how we fhould get 
 our men together. Many propofals were 
 made, but this refolution fixed at laft, that 
 the next Sunday night but one Ihould be the 
 time of our rifing, and that Sir William 
 Courtney ihould have notice of it, and Mr, 
 Trenchard be fent down to Taunton, to the 
 end that he and Sir William Courtney, and 
 the reft of our weftern friends, might pre- 
 pare to keep time with us in our rifing -, for we 
 confidered, that if we were repulfed at Lon- 
 don, we might play an after-game in the 
 Weft. We pitched upon Sunday night as the 
 propereft for this reafon, that on that night 
 all ihops are fliut, and the ftreets fuller than 
 any other night, many people returning late 
 home from vifiting their friends and other 
 diverfions -, fo that our men being unarmed 
 and in fmall parcels, might be conduced to the 
 feveral places, where we defigned to arm them, 
 without great obfcrvation ; which were thefe, 
 I the 
 
[33 1 
 
 the duke of Monmouth's in Hedge-lane, 
 Northumberland-houfe, Bedford-houfe, and 
 four or five meeting-houfes in the city. The 
 duke of Monmouth undertook for Northum- 
 berland- houfe, and my lord Ruffel for Bed- 
 ford-houfe: into thofe two places and 
 Hedge-lane we refolved, as foon as it was 
 dark, to begin to draw in our men by fours 
 and fives at a time, till in all we had lodged 
 five hundred. Into the meeting-houfes in the 
 city we did intend to do the like, and did 
 reckon they would hold fome thoufands. 
 The firft alarm we defigned to give was to be 
 between eleven and twelve o'clock at night, 
 by attacking the train-bands at the Exchange : 
 with our men from the meeting-houfes we 
 did not doubt dlfperfing the train-bands very 
 foon, poflefllng ourfelves of Newgate, Lud- 
 gate, and Alderfgate : the firft two gates 
 we did not defign to defend, uniefs we were 
 beaten from Fleet-bridge, and Snow-hill, 
 where we intended to poft ourfelves as ad- 
 vantageous as we could, and receive the firft 
 attack of the king's guards. At Snow-hill 
 we intended to make a barricade, and 
 plant three or four pieces of cannon upon 
 Ihip-carriages; at Fleet-bridge we defigned 
 to ufe cur -cannon upon the land-carriages, 
 
 D ^^^ 
 
[ 34 ] 
 
 and to make a bread- work for our mufketecrs 
 on each fide of the bridge next us ; and to 
 fill the houfes on that fide the ditch with 
 men who fhould fire from the windows, but 
 the bridge to be clear. We intended alfo at 
 the fame time to poflfefs ourfelves of Lon- 
 don-bridge, to cut ofi^ the correfpondance 
 between Whitehall and the Tower. Thefe 
 three pofts we thought we could keep 
 with two thoufand men, till the refl; were 
 got together and in order, and then we in- 
 tended to fend a thoufand foot and fuch 
 horfe as we had, under the command of my 
 lord Macclesfield (for whom the duke of 
 Monmouth engaged) who fihould march 
 through Smithfield, Red-lion-fields, and 
 down St. Martin's lane, and fall upon the rear 
 of the king's forces. We intended alfo that 
 as many more men as we could fpare, fhould 
 march over London-bridge, through South- 
 wark, and at Lambeth be carried over in 
 lighters to Weftminfter, which we thought 
 w^ould give a great alarm at Whitehall if the 
 guards had been lefi^ened there to attack us 
 the ftronger at Fleet-bridge and Snow-hill : 
 but we hoped there would be no great need 
 of this laft detachmentj and that our men in 
 
 Hedge- laaC;, 
 
[ 35 ] 
 
 Hedge-lane, Northumberland-houfe, and 
 Bedford-houfe, would prevent the guards 
 getting together 5 for that end, they were to 
 be placed there, and ordered, that upon the 
 firft alarm they fhould fall upon them at 
 Fleet-bridge and Snow-hill. We concluded 
 that the king in this conjundlure would be 
 advifed to go ^or Portfmouth, and would 
 follow it, which we thought would fo dif- 
 hearten his forces, that in few hours wc 
 fhould be mafters of London. 
 
 This is all as to the time and manner of our 
 rifing, which I can at prefent remember was 
 agreed on. There was a difcourfe begun by Sir 
 Thomas A rmflrong, aboat viewing the guards 
 at the Savoy and Mews, whicii all thought 
 neceffary, but no body was ordered to take 
 that employment upon them. Colonel Rum- 
 fey and Mr. Sheppard were both prefent at 
 the time of this difcourfe, and did both of 
 them aflift very often with their opinions, as to 
 our pofTefling ourfelves of fevcral places in 
 the city, which they knew much better than 
 we did. Before we parted we agreed to meet 
 again next week ; and fixed a day, three or four 
 days before our rifing, but what day it was 
 I have forgot. Our next bufincfs was fpeak- 
 ing with Mr. Trenchard, who was foon after 
 
 D 2 feat 
 
[ 36 ] 
 
 fent by the duke of Monmouth, to his houfc 
 in Soho-fquare, where I was defired to give 
 him an account of the refolutions we had 
 taken at Mr. Sheppard's^ and what part be- 
 longed to him. Mr. Trenchardwasftrangely 
 furprized at our near approach, and faid he 
 was not in that forwardnefs at Taunton, and 
 therefore defired a fortnight or three 
 weeks time to prepare himfelf and friends, 
 for they could not be ready fooner, if fo foon. 
 I afked him why he did not fay fo the laft 
 time I faw him, which was the night I went to 
 Mr. Sheppard*s, and then he gave Sir Thomas 
 Armftrong and me a very different account 
 of the Taunton affairs, yet knew about 
 what we were to meet at Mr. Sheppard's 
 better than I did at that time. He made me 
 no reply, or one not worth remembring, and 
 fliewed more fear than ever I faw in any man 
 before or fince : but at his going away, he 
 promifed the duke of Monmouth to go in- 
 ftantly to Taunton, and to make his prepara- 
 tions for rifing, with all poflible fpeed 5 and 
 to acquaint him in a few days, at what time 
 he (liould be ready. The duke of Mon- 
 mouth, Sir Thomas Armftrong, and, I dare 
 almoft fwear, colonel Rumfey were prefentat 
 Qur difcourfe 3 but if colonel Rumfey was not 
 
 by 
 
[ 37 ] 
 
 by at the time, lam fure he came in prefently 
 after, and had an account of it ; for I per- 
 fectly remember, he laughed with us at Mr. 
 Trenchard's cowardlinefs ; andfaid he would 
 undertake to furprize Brifhol with two hun- 
 dred horfe, if Mr. Trenchard, or any other, 
 would come in after to his aiSiftance. 
 
 A few days after, being with the duke of 
 Monmouth, and Sir Thomas Armftrong, the 
 duke of Monmouth propofed viewing the 
 guards that night, that we might give an 
 account, at our next meeting, in what 
 pofture they were. Accordingly about twelve 
 o'clock we went to the Mews gate, and the 
 duke of Monmouth went in ; what pretence 
 he made to the fentry I know not, but when 
 he came out he laugh'd, and faid it would do ; 
 afterwards went to the horfe guards : the 
 gates were (hut, and I remember the duke 
 of Monmouth faid he would have an order 
 for them. From thence we went to the Savoy, 
 where the duke of Monmouth talked with 
 the centinel before he went in, and flayed Co 
 long afterwards, that Sir Thomas Armftrong 
 and I were in fome apprehenfion for him : 
 when he came back he feemsd v/ell pleafeJ, 
 and gave fome account of the remifnefs of 
 the guards, which I have for-ot. The ap- 
 D 3 pointed 
 
[ 38 3 
 pointed time of our meeting at Mr. Shep- 
 pard's, we went thither as before, Sir Tho- 
 mas Armftrong and I firft, and the duke of 
 Monmouth and my lord P.ufTel came after : 
 colonel Rumfey was not prefent at cur firft 
 coming in, but Ivlr. Sheppard, and Mr. Fer- 
 gufon were. The cuke of Monmouth gave 
 my lord RuiTel and the reft an account of 
 viewing the guards, and of the carelefs pof- 
 ture he found them in ; and alfo that Mr. 
 Trenchard's preparations at Taunton were fo 
 backward, that he could not be ready for an 
 infurreftion, under a fortnight or three 
 weeks. This difappointment put a great daunt 
 upon all of us, and we had many long dif- 
 courfes about it ^ at laft, when we had debated 
 till we were all weary, whether we Aould 
 continue our refolution of rifing at the time 
 appointed, or defer it till we heard from Mr, 
 Trenchard and others my lord Ruffel had 
 fent to in the Weft, we concluded on the 
 latter, but did not intend to lay the rifing 
 afide, as has been reported, and I fear fworn. 
 Towards the end of our difcourfcs, colonel 
 Rumfey came in, to whom we gave an ac- 
 count of what we determined, and the rea- 
 fon of it j but I do not remember that he 
 brought any meffage from my lord Shaftf- 
 
 bury : 
 
[ 39 ] 
 
 bury : perhaps he might, and I not hear it ; 
 nor do I know of any meffage fent to us by 
 my lord by colonel Rumfey ; but I do not 
 doubt but my lord had an exad: ac- 
 count conftantly of all that paiTed, both from 
 colonel Rumfey and Mr. Fergufon. At our 
 parting, we agreed to meet again ten or 
 fourteen days after, according as we heard 
 from Mr. Trenchard ^ and I remember the 
 duke of Monmouth ordered Mr. Fergufon to 
 get four more field-carriages made againil that 
 time. 
 
 Mr. Alderman Cornifli was to have 
 been of our cabal, and was at one of our 
 meetings, but did not ftay with us while we 
 debated any thing about our affair, having 
 friends at home who waited for him, which 
 he ufed as an excufe for leaving us. I have 
 been often informed that he knew of, and 
 was to aflift in our defign ; but I cannot fay 
 fo of my own knowledge, tho' I am fully fa- 
 tisfied it is true. There was at one of our 
 meetings a paper read, which Mr. Fer- 
 gufon brought ; it was defigned for a Decla- 
 ration, but who gave order or inftru^lions 
 for it I know not, nor can I now repeat all 
 the particular heads of it. I remember it 
 began with fome account of the ends of go- 
 vernment in general, and then enumerated 
 D 4 th« 
 
r 40 ] 
 
 the many grievances and oppreflions (as he 
 called them) which the nation lay under, 
 an<- the feveral arbitrary fteps the king had 
 made (10 was the expreffion) in order to ab- 
 folutenefs ; and declared the caufe of our 
 taking up of arms v/as to redrefs thofe 
 grievances, and to deliver the king from the 
 evil counfels of thofe about him, who ad- 
 vifed him to fuch adtions, as tended to the 
 deflrudtion of the government : and the con- 
 Cderation of all things therein mentioned 
 was referred to the wifdom of a parliament, 
 which was required fpeedily to be called. 
 It concluded with a folemn proteftation 
 that we did not intend the leaft hurt to the 
 king, nor any coniiderable alteration in the 
 government, but drew our fwords to fupport 
 it, and to preferve the royal perfon of the 
 king. 
 
 In a fliort time after this meeting, my 
 lord Shaftltury went beyond fea, and, as 
 I have fince heard, the reafon of it w^as our 
 fending him word from Mr. Sheppard's, that 
 we could not rife with him, and he muft be 
 contented. I am very confident there was no 
 fuch meilage fent him, for w^e did only in- 
 tend, at our laft meeting, to defer our rifmg 
 till we heard farther from Mr. Trenchard, 
 Sir William Courtney, and otJiers in the 
 
 Wefts 
 
[ 4r ] 
 
 Weft ; but did not think of laying our de- 
 fign of rifing in London afide, tho' we were 
 failed in the country; for we thought our- 
 felves in too much danger, and that we had 
 proceeded too far not to go forward : but 
 perhaps my lord Shaftibury looked upon our 
 delay to be a civil refufal to affift him, and 
 thereupon took a fright, and went away. 
 After my lord and Mr. Fergufon were gone, 
 it was impoffible for us to adl, they having 
 managed the greateft part of our city affairs, 
 and knew all thofe confiderable men (as they 
 called them) who were to be heads of the 
 reft, and had not acquainted the duke of 
 Monmouth, or my lord Ruflel, with many 
 of them, as they promifed, fo that our 
 defign muft fall to the ground, as it did, and 
 we exped:cd every day to be hanged, as we 
 had reafon. I thought it proper to give this 
 laft account, having often heard the follow- 
 ing arguments were urged againft the belief 
 of that plot : That there could be no neceffity 
 of laying the London rifing afide (if it were 
 intended) becaufe Mr. Trenchard had difap- 
 •pointedus of fifteen hundred men at Taunton ; 
 and that if we were prepared for a rifing in Lon- 
 don before my lord Shaftibury went away, 
 his departure could not prevent our putting it 
 
 ill 
 
[ 42 j 
 
 in execution, all the fervice he could do us, 
 being but premature adllon. I think what 
 I have faid before, dees fully anfwer thofe 
 new objeftions. After my lord Shaftibury's 
 departure, all treafonable praftices were 
 thought on no more (as I enquired.) 
 
 In February at Chichefler the duke of Mon- 
 mouth acquainted me, that my lord of Eflex, 
 lord Howard, lord RulTel, colonel Sidney, 
 Mr. Hambden, and himfelf, had been con- 
 triving in fur regions in feveral parts of this 
 kingdom, and defigned to engage fome in 
 Scotland to do the like ; that he was to have 
 a meeting, at his return to London, with the 
 perfons above named, but believed it would 
 not be long before they difagreed, for he 
 feared my lord of Eifex, colonel Sidney, 
 and Mr. Hambden intended a common- 
 wealth, which could not be without the 
 deflruftion of the king ; and if that was their 
 intention^ my lord Ruffel, and himfelf, 
 were refolved to quit them entirely, and to 
 think of faving themfelves ; for they would 
 both rather lie at the king's mercy for what 
 was pafled, than that his life fliould be in- 
 dangered, or his liberty taken away, which 
 was next to death. He concluded to dcfire 
 me to come to town, for my lord RulTel 
 2 and 
 
[43 ] 
 
 and himfelf were refolved to be no longer of 
 their cabal, unlefs I came into it, and then 
 we fhould be as ftrong as they 5 for my lord 
 Howard, he thought, was zealous for no go- 
 vernment but that under which he could get 
 moft. I delired the duke of Monmouth to 
 excufe me, for I was very unwilling to enter 
 into fuch counfels with men, when I knew 
 beforehand I fhould fall out with them. He 
 replied, they were as little defirous of my 
 company, as I could be of theirs, for they 
 looked upon me as his friend, and for the 
 fame reafon would be quit of my lord 
 RuiTel were they able to ad; without him. I 
 refufed going with the duke of Monmouth 
 to London, but being extremely importuned 
 by him, promifed him, that if he found, at his 
 next meeting, a probability of agreeing with 
 thofe, whofe ill intentions he fufpedled, I 
 would wait upon him if he fent for me. 
 
 In March following I received a letter from 
 him, wherein (under the cant of going to 
 Northampton plate, and diverting ourfelves 
 there) he acquainted me all things were to 
 his mind, and defired me to come up to Lon- 
 don, which I did in a day or two. After I 
 had been fome fliort time in town, my lord 
 RufTel and I being with the duke of Mon- 
 mouth, 
 
[44 ] 
 
 mouth, they gave me this following account 
 of the proceedings of the cabal : That thejr 
 had met four or five times, and after fome 
 difputes and jealoufies came to this refolu- 
 tion : That there fhould be three infurre(flions 
 in England, and one in Scotland ; that in 
 order to that in Scotland, they had fent for 
 my lord Melvin, Sir John Cockram, and 
 fome gentlem.en of my lord Argyll's relations, 
 that by them they might be informed how- 
 Scotland was inclined ^ and, if my lord 
 Argyll w^as affifted with money to buy arms 
 and amir.unition, whether they thought they 
 could be ftrong enough to mafter the king's 
 army there : that the places of rifing in 
 England were London, Chefler, and the 
 Weft, and that Sir William Courtney had 
 engaged to my lord RuiTel to rife, and Mr. 
 Trenchard had recovered his fright, and was 
 very forw^ard now to be in adion : that they 
 had agreed to raife a fum of money for to begin 
 the war, and to affift my lord Argyll with 
 ten thoufand pounds, which w^as the fum he 
 now^ demanded to miake preparations for the 
 war in Scotland ; but they would hold their 
 hands till they had a good account from 
 thence, which they hoped for by the gentle- 
 men who were coming, and had adjourned 
 
 their 
 
[ 45 3 
 
 their meeting of their cabal till their arrival, 
 for fear of obfervation, and being refolved to 
 apply themfelves, in the firft place, to the 
 Scotch affair, that it might receive a quick 
 difpatch, their intentions being that the v^ar 
 fhould iirft break forth in Scotland. They 
 told me alfo it was agreed by the cabal, that 
 I fhould be one of the number, and the 
 duke of Monmouth was defired by them to 
 bring me thither at their next meeting. 
 After this refolution I remember my lord 
 Ruflel faid, that though things went on fo 
 fmoothly with them now, yet he forefaw 
 there would be danger of a difagreement, 
 when we came to debate the heads of a De- 
 claration, and what power ihould be in- 
 trufted to our General, and therefore he had 
 waved difputes of that nature till I came in to 
 his affiftance, whom he had always found con- 
 curring in opinion with the duke of Mon- 
 mouth, and himfelf, as to the continuance 
 of the government, and fafety of the king's 
 perfon; but he feared my lord of Eflerv, 
 and colonel Sidney, had fet their hearts upon 
 a common-wealth, and once apprehended 
 they had engaged Mr. Hambden, but now 
 that fear was over, and we fliould be ftrong 
 enough for them at the next meeting.^ Many 
 2 difcourf.s 
 
[ 46 3 
 
 difcounes of this kind have paffed between 
 the duke of Monmouth, my lord Ruffel, 
 and myfelf : we were often together, and 
 did firmly refolve, that if my lord of ElTex, 
 and colonel Sidney, could not agree to fuch 
 a Declaration as that read at Mr. Sheppard's, 
 we would have nothing to do with them : 
 we thought a war begun upon fuch quar- 
 rel as the Declaration fliould fet forth, would 
 foon end in a happy accommodation between 
 the king and his people in parliament ; and 
 that imagination was the greateft induce- 
 ment to us to think of an infurreftion : 
 perhaps the duke of Monmouth might flat- 
 ter himfelf with the hopes that a parliament 
 fo called might fecure the crown to him 
 after the king's life ^ but that was never 
 mentioned among us that I know of. As 
 for my own part, I do folemnly proteft to 
 your majefty, that if I thought the duke of 
 Monmouth, or my lord Ruflel, intended 
 the deftrudlion of the government, or the 
 leafl- prejudice to the king, I fhould have 
 abhorred them ; but believing the contrary, 
 I loved them, and engaged with them to my 
 own ruin and deftrudion. It was in March 
 (to the beft of my remembrance) that I receiv- 
 ed the account before mentioned of the cabal's 
 
 proceedings^ 
 
[ 47 3 
 
 proceedings, after which I heard nothino- of 
 importance, till I returned with the duke of 
 Monmouth from Northampton (where I 
 had rid for a plate) which I think was ia- 
 April. 
 
 About the latter end of that month (as 
 I take it) the duke of Monmouth, and 
 my lord Ruffe), came one morning to my 
 chamber, and told me the Scotchmen were 
 come to town, and that they had feen Sir 
 John Cockram, who had given them a bet- 
 ter account of Scotland than they could have 
 expeded, and that they had prepared him 
 (and would do the reft) to give fuch an ac- 
 count of the inclinations of Scotland to mon- 
 archy, as ihould deflroy all the hopes and 
 provokes my lord of Effex and colonel Sid- 
 ney could have to a common- wealth ; that Sir 
 John Cockram had a great defire to fpeak 
 with me, hoping to prevail with me to ailift 
 them in Scotland with fome Northumber- 
 land horfe, for they had none worth any 
 thing in their own country. I was very un- 
 willing to meet Sir John Cockram (whom I 
 had never ken) and the more fo being re- 
 folved to refufe him the affiftance he defigned 
 to aflc of me ; but upon the importunity of 
 my lord Ruffel, con fen ted to meet him at 
 Southampton- houfe, which I did a day or 
 
 two 
 
[48 ] 
 
 two after, my lord Ruflel being prefent. 
 Sir John gave us a tedious account of the 
 condition of Scotland, and how he would 
 have the war managed -, but all he faid is fo 
 httle worth the mentioning (if I could repeat 
 it) that I did not endeavour to remember it, 
 and did not half an hour after I had left him. 
 All that I can call to mind of his difcourfe is, 
 that he ufed many arguments to perfuade me 
 to affift them with fome horfe, and the 
 moft remarkable one was, that he would 
 undertake the iirft news the king fhould 
 have after rifing fhould be, that Scotland 
 was loft. Many other extravagant expreffions 
 I heard from him, and I think in my whole 
 life-time I never met with fo vain a man. I 
 never had any other meeting with him in 
 England, nor did I intend it, tho* never fo 
 often prefTed to it. 
 
 The Scotchmen being now come to 
 town, it was thought necelTary there fhould 
 be a fpeedy meeting of the cabal, which 
 was appointed to be at Southampton-houfe, 
 and m.y lord of EfTex (who was then in 
 the country) was fent for to be there, which 
 he promifed. A day or two before the time, 
 the duke of Monmouth, my lord RufTel, and I 
 met, that we might prepare ourfelves for the 
 debate we intended upon the heads of a Declara- 
 tion 5 
 
t49] 
 
 tion 5 and alfo confider how wc fliould In- 
 troduce the difcourfe of a General, and the 
 power he fhould have, and in what hands 
 the management of the war fhould be pla- 
 ced, whether in a General or in a Council, It 
 was at laft agreed, that I (hould begin thefe 
 difcourfes, it being probable that a proper 
 opportunity would be given me by my lord 
 of Eflex, or fomc of them, who would 
 think it proper, at my lirft coming among 
 them, to acquaint me with the end 
 of our meeting, and the feveral ftcps they 
 had made. When this was fettled, I de- 
 fired the duke of Monmouth and my lord 
 Ruffel not to take it ill if I refufcd to go to 
 their meeting, unlefs it could be contrived 
 that one of their company fhould be abfent^ 
 which was my lord Howard, of whom I 
 could have no good opinion, tho' they had 
 thought fit to trufl: him with their lives * that 
 I had yet never put mine in his power, and 
 fliould with great unwillingnefs run that 
 venture now. The duke of Monmouth re- 
 plied, he thought no better of him than I 
 did, but had trufted him too far long ago to 
 difoblige him now ; and knew not why or 
 how he came to do fo, my lord having by 
 degrees fo wrought himfelf into his affairs > 
 
 E but 
 
[ 50 ] 
 
 but as for mc, he thought I fhould be in no 
 danger of him, believing he would not be 
 at the meeting, having been abfent the two 
 , or three laft times. My lord Ruffel faid, he 
 was confident my lord was not in town, or 
 it he were, he would not fend for him, but 
 perhaps colonel Sidney might ; and there was 
 no fpeaking to him to forbear it, he was fo 
 much my lord's friend. The fame night we 
 had this difcourfe, or the night after, I went 
 with the duke of Monmouth to colonel 
 Rumfey's, where colonel Rumfey, Sir Tho- 
 mas Armftrong, and Mr. Fergufon were. I 
 could not imagine the end of this meeting 
 for a great while, but after the duke of 
 Monmouth had given them all a full account 
 of the feveral meetings and refolutions of 
 the cabal (as he had done before to me) and 
 alfo of the feveral heads which my lord 
 Ruffel and himfelf did intend to debate 
 next, and had defired me to begin the dif- 
 courfe of, I found the intention was, that I 
 fhould be inftrufted by Mr. Fergufon, and 
 furnifhed with arguments to encounter my 
 lord of Effex, and colonel Sidney, at the 
 next meeting. Accordingly Mr. Fergufon 
 did very learnedly teach me my leffon, as 
 colonel Rumfey can inform your majefty, if 
 
 he 
 
l5i ] 
 
 he pleafes, for he was prefent at the time ; I 
 am furc he was when the duke of Mon- 
 mouth made the refolution above mentioned, 
 and I believe if he be afked, can reme?mbcr 
 this particular. I enquired of them if my 
 lord Howard was in town or not, and Sir 
 Thomas Armftrong anfwered, he was con- 
 fident he was, for but a few days ago hi3 
 lordfhip being informed Mr. Fergufon was 
 come from Holland, afk'd if he were come 
 over to anoint John ; at which expreffion I 
 remember colonel Rumfey laughed, and 
 faid, he fuppofed we knew who was meant 
 by John. The day of meeting at South* 
 ampton-houfe being come, I went thither at 
 the appointed time, where I found the duke 
 of Monmouth, my lord Ruflel, colonel 
 Sidney, and Mr. Hambden -, my lord of 
 Effex was expected every moment, but did 
 not come to town till fo late that evening, 
 that we were gone. Colonel Sidney addreffing 
 his difcourfe to me, began with a long pro- 
 logue, of the neceffity we were reduced to, 
 of taking up of arms, and of the lawful- 
 nefs of it j and from thence defcended to a 
 particular account of their feveral proceed- 
 ings and refolutions, (ince the firft time of 
 their meeting ( I fhall forbear to repeat all 
 
 E 2 of 
 
[ 52 ] 
 
 of them, having exadtly mentioned them 
 before) and went forward to this purpofe : 
 That he looked upon a rifing in Scotland to 
 be of infinite advantage and fecurity to us, 
 both as it would give a diverfion, and be a 
 place of retreat to us if we met with ill fuc- 
 cefs in England 5 that the oppreffions there 
 were fo grievous, that (as he was informed) the 
 hearts of all the common people were fet 
 upon an infurredlion to fliake off their yokes -, 
 and nothing could prevent the attempting it, 
 but affurances of affiftance in fome fhort time : 
 that if we did not aflift them, and engage 
 fome men of quality of their own country to 
 head them, they would mifcarry, as at Both- 
 well-bridge, which might be fatal to us al- 
 fo ; that no men of quality or intereft, who 
 had common underftanding, would under- 
 take fuch an affair, without a provifion of 
 arms, and other neceffaries for war, which 
 the gentry of Scotland, being poor, were 
 not able to make, and therefore we mufl 
 aflift them with money, which had been 
 agreed to, and fome methods propofed for 
 the raifing it, but none agreed on ; that my 
 lord Argyll had been treated with, and had 
 undertaken with ten thoufand pounds to fur- 
 nifli himfelf in Holland with fufficient pro- 
 
 I vifion 
 
[53] 
 
 vifion for the war ; that they of the cabal 
 had fent into Scotland to fomc confiderable 
 men of that kingdom to come to London, 
 that there might be a conjundion of coun- 
 fels, in order to the beginning and carrying 
 on the war in both kingdoms 3 and that 
 thofe gentlemen were come to town, were 
 willing to engage with us, and had given 
 fo good an account of their country, that 
 the fuccefs of an infurrecftion was not to be 
 doubted. That our preparations in Eng- 
 land were in a great forwardnefs, my lord 
 Ruflel having been induftrious about the 
 Weftern riling, and others for one in Lon- 
 don ; and that for Chefhire, the duke of 
 Monmouth had undertaken to engage my 
 lord Macclesfield, lord Brandon, and Mr. 
 Booth, who were able to manage another 
 there ; but the Scotch defign moved flowly, 
 becaufe it required a fum of money, with- 
 out which it would end in nothing but the 
 deftruftion of thofe poor people, who would 
 certainly rife, and as certainly be beaten if we 
 did not provide for them ; therefore it was 
 his opinion we take immediately into our 
 confideration the manner of raifing money, 
 that that affair might receive a difpatch with 
 all poffible fpeed. 
 
 E 3 When 
 
[ 5+ 1 
 
 When colonel Sidney had ended his hiftory 
 and his reafons upon the feveral heads of it 
 (which I have cut as fhort as I can) I told him 
 I obferved they had made a great progrefs in 
 their undertaking, and was well fatisfied with 
 their inducements thereunto, but I could not 
 fee yet what they intended at laft, and had for 
 fome time expeded that account from him, 
 thinking it as reafonable to refolve in what 
 a war fhould terminate, as to confider whe* 
 ther the reafons upon which it was to com- 
 mence were juftifiable j and therefore I ima- 
 gined he had forgot to acquaint me with 
 the heads of their Declaration, which I fup- 
 pofed was ready drawn. He anfwered, No, 
 there was none drawn that he knew of, but 
 he thought we were of one mind. I faid I 
 hoped fo, and that if we could as well agree 
 what we were for, as what we were againft, I 
 Hiould willingly venture my life with them ; 
 and therefore I defired, before we entered 
 upon the thoughts of railing money, we 
 might confider of a Declaration. Colonel 
 gidney muttered to himfelf fome time, and 
 truly what he faid I know not ; all I could 
 diftindly hear was, that my lord of Effex 
 and my lord Howard not being there, it 
 was not a proper time to talk of a Declaration ; 
 
 but 
 
[ 55 ] 
 
 6ut if we would have his opinion of one, he 
 thought we muft tell the world how the 
 King had broken the laws and his own oath, 
 and fecure the fettlement of the kingdom to 
 a parliament, which if we were fuccefsful 
 would know how to provide for the fafcty 
 of themfelves and the people. I replied, I 
 hoped he was not out of charity with the 
 King and government, tho' he had not men- 
 tioned the prefervation of either ^ and that 
 tho' there had been that failure of juftice in 
 the admin iftration of it, which he had men- 
 tioned, yet that was not the defeat of the 
 conftitution, nor did it lie diredlly upon the 
 King to anfwer for it, the law having provid- 
 ed otherwife, and made only thofe obnox- 
 ious to punifhment, who by the wrong 
 ufe of the King's authority fhould mifap- 
 ply the laws : that, for my part, I thought 
 the King a good and merciful prince ill 
 advifed, and the government the beft in the 
 world, and therefore would not draw my 
 fword for the deftrudion of either ; and that 
 if they were of the fame opinion, I thought 
 it our intereft to fay fo In our Declaration, and 
 then we muft exped: great affiftance, and the 
 war might end in a happy accommodation, 
 between the King and his people. The 
 E 4 duke 
 
[ 56 ] 
 
 duke of Monmouth, my lord Ruficl, and 
 Mr. Hambden, who had been filent all this 
 \vhile (and heard me preach their doftrine 
 which before was agreed on) declared, they 
 were all of my opinion j upon which colo-^ 
 nel Sidney faid he had heard, when wife 
 men drew their fwords againft their King, 
 they laid afide the thoughts of treating with 
 him ; but he would talk no more of that matter 
 iince we were all of one mind. When this 
 difcourfe was ended, and feveral others, I 
 alked colonel Sidney in what hands they 
 had refolved to place the management of the 
 war; he faid, they had not refolved that, 
 but he thought it would not be in any others, 
 than thofe perfons who made up our little 
 Council, and one or two more who might 
 be thought on. Then I defired to know 
 what power the General fhould have, and 
 whether he fhould acft according to his own 
 judgment, or receive his inflrudlions and 
 be governed by the orders of our Council, 
 Yes furely, faid he, for we being the princi^ 
 pals in the war, ought to govern it, and no 
 wife General, but will defire it may be fo for 
 his own juftification, I told him many incon- 
 veniencies might arife from thence ; for if a 
 Qeneral had no power but what he derived 
 
 from 
 
[ n ] 
 
 from a Council, he would be defpifcd by 
 his officers, and lofe many opportunities of 
 fighting to advantage for want of orders, 
 which might happen by the abfence of the 
 Council, or fome accident; and that if 
 ever the referving that power to a Council 
 could be neceffary, it muft be when the con- 
 duct of the General was fufpedted ; and one 
 £b qualified, I thought, would not be cho- 
 fen : if his integrity were the apprehenfion, 
 the tying up of his hands would be of little 
 ufe, for whoever had the command of any 
 army in fuch a cafe as ours, might do what 
 he pleafed with it, if once he were beloved 
 by it, and of that he had feen an example in 
 the late times. Colonel Sidney replied, he 
 knew but of one General we could have, 
 and that was the duke of Monmouth, whofe 
 conduct or integrity he did not doubt, and 
 therefore was not for tying up his hands, as 
 I called it; but if he might advife him, he 
 fhould go to Scotland, which would make 
 the fuccefs of that war more certain ; there he 
 would get good footing, be at the head of a 
 conquering army, and then might treat with 
 his father, for that was all he found us in- 
 clined to. I told him I would give the duke 
 of Monmouth the fame advice, if I defired 
 
 nevei: 
 
[ 58 ] 
 
 never more to fee him in England. My 
 lord Ruffel and Mr. Hambden both oppofed 
 the duke of Monmouth's going to Scotland, 
 and faid there would be an end then of the 
 Weftern rifingj for Sir William Courtney 
 and others in the Weft would not have en- 
 gaged to rife, but upon the promife of the 
 duke of Monmouth's being with tliem ; fo 
 that put an end to colonel Sidney's propofals. 
 After that we had many difcourfes more tedi- 
 ous (if pofliblc) than thofe I have related, 
 but at laft we came to this refolution : That 
 we fhould chiefly apply ourfelves to the affair 
 of Scotland, till it was difpatched : that at 
 our next meeting we fhould difcourfe the 
 heads of a Declaration, and agree on a me- 
 thod for raifing of money: that the ten 
 thoufand pounds fhould be lent to my lord 
 Argyll with all fpeed, that, if pofTible, the 
 Scotch rifing might begin before the end of 
 June : that a meffenger fhould come from 
 Scotland (as foon as ever they were in arms) 
 to London, where one fhould be ready to 
 carry the news to the duke of Monmouth 
 at my houfe in Suffex, where he was to be 
 privately a week before the rifing, that he 
 might not be fecured, if there were any fuf- 
 picion of it, and they would be ready on the 
 
 firfl 
 
[ 59 ] 
 
 firft notice, to ride away to Taunton, where 
 he was to be received by Mr. Trenchard. 
 That my lord Macclesfield fhould have the 
 fame intelligence given him in Chefhire. 
 It was not determined, where my lord Ruf- 
 fePs port: fliould be, whether in London, or 
 whether his lordfliip or Sir Francis Rowles 
 (hould, with a good number of horfe, make 
 their way to Taunton, which was defigned 
 as their general rendezvous in the Weft, and 
 known by vaft numbers there, as Mr. Wade 
 can inform your Majefty, This is all I caa 
 remember at prefent was agreed upon at 
 that time. 
 
 About a week or ten days, after there 
 was another meeting: I was not at it, 
 being prevented by fome accident, which 
 I have forgot ; but at the duke of Mon- 
 mouth's my lord Ruflel gave me this ac- 
 count of it : That they had agreed upon a 
 Declaration, which would be to our minds, 
 and that my lord of EiTex and colonel Sid- 
 ney had undertaken to draw it : that as to 
 the raifing of money, they thought it fafeft 
 for all of us to lay it down, as much as we were 
 able, left by collecting money, we fhould be 
 difcovered ; but that Mr. Hambden and 
 himfelf had ventured to fpeak to fome friends 
 in the city, who had promifed them to affift 
 
 us. 
 
[ 6o ] 
 
 US, and he did not doubt but in a (hort time 
 to return my lord Argyll a good fum to begin 
 withal. That as for himfelf he was no mo- 
 neyed man, however fhould be able to lay 
 down two or three thoufand pounds, and 
 hoped I would do the like j which I pro- 
 mifed to do, if I could get fo much without 
 giving fufpicion, for I had not fuch a fum by 
 me 5 a bigger fum was never propofed to me, 
 tho* I hear it was reported I had promifed 
 ten thoufand pounds. My lord told me alfo, 
 that the cabal would not meet again in a 
 good while all together for fear of obfervation. 
 In a fhort time after this difcourfe I was 
 brought before the Council for the arms 
 found in my houfe, which were bought long 
 before, and very publickly, and lay fo in my 
 houfe to the view of all my fervants for near 
 two years, and were not bought with any other 
 intent but to furnifh my three houfes in Ef- 
 fex, Sufiex, and Northumberland 3 how- 
 ever they gave fuch fufpicion (tho* but four- 
 fcore in all) that I was obliged to enter with 
 my fureties into a recognizance of 20000 
 pounds for the keeping of the peace. After 
 that I was unwilling to ftay in town, and went 
 down into SuiTex, where I thought there was 
 no great danger of forfeiting my recogni- 
 zance before the time of cur rifing, and if that 
 
 fucceeded 
 
[ 6i ] 
 
 fucceeded to our expeftations, I fliould 
 hardly be fued upon it. The day before I 
 went out of town, my lord Ruffel came in 
 the morning to me, who knew of my go- 
 ing, and my reafons, and did not difapprove 
 them. I told his lordfliip I had not the 
 money by me I had promifed to ky down, 
 but if he would procure three thoufand 
 pounds, I would confefs a judgment for that 
 fum, or give any other fecurity defired upon 
 a day's notice, whenever he fent for me to 
 town, and that I would not give his lordfliip 
 that trouble, if I could raife the money 
 without fufpicion. My lord was very well 
 '^fatisfied, and undertook to procure me the 
 money. He took his leave of me, and it 
 was for ever, for I faw him no more. 
 
 The night before I went out of town I 
 walked with the duke of Monmouth in Soho- 
 fquare till break of day ; he told me, he 
 found my lord of Eflex, colonel Sidney, and 
 all of them, fliould agree in every thing ; and 
 he was confident that when we were in arms, 
 and the King faw how fl:rong we were in feve- 
 ral places, there Would be little blood flied, 
 for all would end in an accommodation be- 
 tween the King and a parliament : but my 
 lord Macclesfield, he faid, had made a bar- 
 barous 
 
[62 ] 
 
 barous propofal, which was the murthering 
 your Majefty, for that, my lord faid, would 
 frighten the King into a compliance. The 
 duke of Monmouth expreffed himfelf with 
 the greateft abhorrence of fuch an aftion, 
 that can be imagined, and faid he would not 
 confent to the murthering the meaneft crea- 
 ture (tho' the worft enemy he had in the 
 world) for all the advantages under heaven j 
 and fhould never have any efteem for my 
 lord Macclesfield while he lived. He pro- 
 mifed me at parting, that if any thing hap- 
 pened worth my knowing, I fhould hear 
 from him (but how he kept his word I 
 fhall mention prefently) and that he kept his 
 refolution of coming down to me a week 
 before the rifing. 
 
 I went next morning into Suflex, which 
 was in the month of May, and there I 
 continued till the difcovery of the plot, 
 without hearing one word from the duke 
 of Monmouth, my lord Ruffel, or any 
 body, how their affairs went forward ; fo 
 that what paffed among them, after I left 
 London, I know not, but as I have heard 
 from Sir Thomas Armftrong at Clere. When 
 I heard that colonel Rumfey had delivered 
 himfelf, after having beep in a proclamation 
 for high treafon, I did conclude (as well I 
 I *might) 
 
[63 ] 
 
 might) that he came in to be a wltnefs ; and 
 had no great reafon to expccft he (hould fparc 
 me J however would not provide for my 
 own fafety, by running away (tho* I could 
 then have made a fecure cfcape) knowing 
 that flight is the greateft prefumption of 
 guilt, and that mine would confirm the truth 
 of Rumfey 's evidence, which might be the dc- 
 ftrudtion of the duke of Monmouth, and my 
 lord RufTel, if they were taken, and both of 
 them I loved equally with myfelf, tho' in- 
 deed I had little reafon at that time 5 for 
 neither of them took care to acquaint me 
 with Rumfcy's coming in, nor with what re- 
 folutions they had taken upon it. The in- 
 telligence I had, I owe to Mr. Everit, who 
 (hewed me a letter on the Monday morning, 
 that gave an account of Rumfey's being 
 come in on the Sunday night before j fo rfiat 
 I had timely notice to go away if I pleafed. 
 On the Tuefday following I went to London, 
 being fummoned to appear in the King's 
 bench, to be fined for the riot I was found 
 guilty of, ift the city (tho* I was not there 
 at the time of its being committed, as I made 
 appear by feveral witnefles, for the truth of 
 which I appealed to Mr. Attorney General.) 
 
 In 
 
[64] 
 In my journey thither I was taken by a 
 xncffenger, who fhewcd me a warrant he 
 had to feize me for high treafon. I could 
 then have made an efcape with eafe, the 
 meflenger being alone, and I had feveral fer- 
 vants with me well armed, but I would not 
 for the reafons above mentioned ; befides I was 
 in hopes that Mr. Sheppard would not make 
 a fecond witnefs^ but thefe foon vanifhed 
 when I came to Whitehall, where I faw 
 him, and made fuch obfervations as fatisfied 
 me I had nothing but death to exped: un- 
 iefs I would difcover my friends. When I was 
 examined before the King, concerning the 
 duke of Monmouth and my lord Ruflel, I 
 denied I knew any thing againft them, and 
 at that time would not have accufed them, to 
 fave my own life : the efcape I made after- 
 wards none can imagine I forefaw, unlefs 
 they will fuppofe I had the fpirit of divination, 
 or had agreed with the meflenger for it, 
 which I protefl to God I had not, nor ever 
 propofed it to him ; if I had, I muft have 
 offered him a fum of money that would have 
 maintained him beyond fea, better than his 
 place here j and if fuch a bargain had been 
 between us, I fhould not have gone to the 
 Tower- gates, nor would he have flayed there 
 
 behind 
 
[ 65 ] 
 
 behind me. The deliverance I had from 
 thence I owe entirely to the providence of 
 God, and have made fo ill ufe of it fince, 
 that I acknowledge his juftice in delivering 
 me into your Majefty's hands, to whom I 
 have forfeited my life by the lav/s of the king- 
 dom ^ and I pray God diredl you, Sir, in your 
 difpofal of me to your own advantage ; and whe- 
 ther that be to life or death, I hope I (hall fub- 
 mit to it, as becomes a man and a Chriftian. 
 I have feveral times heard the duke of 
 Monmouth and my lord Macclesfield dif- 
 courfe about the London and Chefhirc rilings; 
 and I particularly remember, that at a time 
 when we intended a rifing in London only, 
 the duke of Monmouth and my lord Maccles- 
 field agreed to dine in the city, and difcourfe 
 of it there i which accordingly they did at 
 the George and Vulture : there was the duke 
 of Monmouth, my lord Macclesfield, my 
 lord Branford, Sir Gilbert Gerard, Sir Tho- 
 mas Armftrong, and myfelf : we had feveral 
 difcourfes about the manner of the rifing ia 
 the city, and I remember the duke of Mon- 
 mouth and my lord Macclesfield did extremely 
 difpute about it. I have not yet forgot feve- 
 ral of my lord Macclesfield's propofals. My 
 lord Ruflel has often told me, that Mr. Shep- 
 
 F pard 
 
[ 66 ] 
 
 pard was to return over the money to my lord 
 Argyll, and would, in a veffel of his own, fend 
 over the Scotch gentlemen for Holland, which 
 fhould alfo affift my lord Argyll in tranfport- 
 ing from London his arms and ammunition, or 
 his company. Sir Thomas Armflrong has alfo 
 acquainted me, when we were beyond fea, 
 that Mr. Sheppard had received fome thou- 
 fands of pounds from my lord Ruffel, to 
 tranfmit to my lord Argyll, juft before the 
 difcovery of the plot -, and ufed it as an argu- 
 ment to me of Mr. Sheppard's being an un- 
 willing witnefs at my lord Ruflers trial, that 
 he did not mention the receipt of that money 
 from my lord Ruffel, which would have been 
 an overt aft of his treafon ; befides he could 
 have given a fuller evidence againft my lord 
 Ruffel than any of the witneffes, having very 
 often difcourfed with my lord upon the plot, 
 and advifed him what men in the city were 
 to be applied to for money ; and had con- 
 trived with him the manner of the city rifing, 
 and could, if he would, accufe feveral of our 
 beil and ableft friends there, which he had 
 not done ; and therefore Sir Thomas did infer 
 from this his management, that fear only 
 made him own what he did, which was alfo 
 little ; that if I were taken, he faid, I fhould 
 
 be 
 
[ 67 } 
 
 be in no great danger of a trial, colonel Rum-*. 
 fey being the only witnefs befides, that could 
 be brought againft me, I have heard in 
 Holland, from fome who came oat of Eng- 
 land, that Mr, Sheppard had found out a very 
 convenient way of getting money, which v/as 
 the borrowing of it of fome perfons in the 
 city, who durft not refufe him for fear of 
 being accufed by him : alderman Ccrnifh v/as 
 one he treated fo kindly 5 and I have heard 
 another named, but at prefent cannot remem- 
 ber the perfon. My lord Brandon, Sir Tho- 
 mas Armftrong, and myfelf have a hundred 
 times difcourfed of moft of the affairs before 
 related ; and I never faw a man fo zealous 
 for a rebellion, that kept his word and engage- 
 ments no better, than my lord Brandon, when 
 he had the opportunity he wifiied for. He 
 has often confulted with Sir Thomas and 
 me how to furprize a caftle or fort, which 
 I think his lordfhip faid was in Chefter, or 
 I am fure very near it^ but am confident was 
 more pleafed with talking of it, than he 
 would have been v/ith executing his defign, 
 if he had been ordered to attempt it. Mr. 
 - Charlton was alfo acquainted by Sir Thomas 
 Armilrong and me with all our affairs, and did 
 advifc us about the management both of the 
 F 2 city 
 
[ 68 ] 
 
 City and Chelliire rifings. Major Bremon was 
 difcourfed by me (by order of the duke of 
 Monmouth) about the poffibiUty of furprizlng 
 Portfmouth; but it came to nothing, for he 
 faid it could not be done. This is all I can 
 at prefent call to mind of our treafonablc 
 practices before I left England, but it is poffi- 
 ble I may have forgot feveral things. 
 
 About the latter end of June 8 3 I made 
 my efcape out of England, and went in July 
 following to Cleve; the latter end of Auguft, 
 or beginning of September, Sir Thomas Arm- 
 ftrong came to me: we v/ere both fo well 
 pleafed v/ith the place, and the kind recep- 
 tion we met with, that we refolved to con- 
 tinue there till God's providence fhould 
 otherwife difpofe of us. As for my own part, 
 I laid afide alt thoughts of England, but fuch 
 as were for my fupport, and held no corre- 
 fpondence with any in it, but about my own 
 private affairs, till fuch time as m.onficur 
 Fucks was fent Embaflador, by his mafter the 
 eledor of Brandenburgh, to the States of Hol- 
 land ; who in his way thither refted fomc days 
 at Cleve, where by the means of fomc friends 
 I became acquainted with him (which to the 
 bed of my remembrance was the next fpring 
 after my coming over.) Our acquaintance 
 
 in 
 
li 69 ] 
 
 in a fliort time grew to fo great a friendfhip, 
 that 1 received many proofs of his, and was 
 encouraged by them to beg the affiftance of 
 his intereft in procuring an employment for 
 Sir Thomas Armftrong in his mafter's fervice j 
 which he very readily promifed, and had 
 performed, if Sir Thomas had Hved to go to 
 Berhn. About this time I found by news 
 letters and gazettes, that although the duke 
 of Monmouth had his pardon, yet he lay 
 concealed 3 and, having no correfpondence 
 with him, could imagine no other reafon for 
 his doing fo, but the avoiding being a witnefs 
 at Mr. Hambden's trial, or fome other, 
 which for all I knew might be coming on ^ 
 which if true, I thought he would foon leave 
 England, and be very glad of fome honora- 
 ble employment abroad; whereupon (after 
 fuch difcourfes as I thought neceffary to pre- 
 pare a minifter for the propofal I had to make) 
 I propofed to monfieur Fucks the duke of 
 Monmouth's coming into his mafter's fervice 
 as his General; or if that could not be obtain- 
 ed, as Lieutenant General. Monfieur Fucks 
 was fo well pleafed with the propofition, that 
 he immediately writ to the eledlor, and at his 
 return from Holland fhcwed me his anfwcr, 
 v/hich to the bcft of my remembrance was to 
 F 3 this 
 
[ 7° ] 
 
 this fenfe ; that he was not at prefent engaged 
 in any war, but did believe it would not be 
 Jong before he fliould have occafion to ufe his 
 arms ; that when he had, the duke of Mon- 
 mouth rnight be fure that he fliould be very 
 glad of his fervice, and in the mean time did 
 '*' defire above all things to fee him at Berhn ; 
 where he might promife himfelf as kind a 
 reception as he could defire. With this anfwer 
 (and all the fteps that I had made in this 
 affair) I immediately acquainted major Wild- 
 man (by the means of a friend) whom I thought 
 moft likely to convey it to the duke of Mon- 
 mouth^ which he did, and returned me this 
 anfwer : 
 
 That the duke of Monmouth would be 
 very willing to accept of either of the employ- 
 ments, but would not leave a certainty for an 
 uncertainty. What was meant by the cer- 
 tainty I knew not then -, nor could I find out 
 what part of the anfwer was thanks to me for 
 the pains I had taken to ferve him. Imme- 
 diately after thefe tranfactions with monfieur 
 Fucks, Mr. Fergufon comes to Cleve, and 
 difcourfing with me, began with a long pre- 
 amble of our fad circumftances, and with the 
 heavy oppreflions, which, he faid, the three 
 nations groaned under 3 and at the end of his 
 : ' harangue 
 
[7' ] 
 
 harangue told me, that fome on that fide the 
 water had held a correfpondence with Scot- 
 land, in order to a rifing (notwithftanding 
 the difficulties we at prefent laboured under) 
 and that the people of that kingdom were fo 
 generally difpofed to it, that nothing could 
 prevent their being in a flame in a fhort time, 
 but that my lord Argyll himfelf, and others, 
 were afraid it would prove a fecond Both- 
 well Bridge bufinefs, unlefs men of more pru- 
 dent underftandings, and greater quality, did 
 engage in this, than did in that. And there- 
 fore his bufinefs with me was to perfuade me 
 to fend for the duke of Monmouth, and to 
 procure a meeting, and good underftanding, 
 between him and my lord Argyll. When 
 he had ended his difcourfe (which was very 
 tedious) I told him, that from my leaving 
 England to that time I had held no corre- 
 fpondence with the duke of Monmouth; that 
 I did believe I knew how to fend to him, 
 but would not about fuch an affair as that was; 
 and that if my lord Argyll had any thing more 
 to fay to me, I thought myfelf obliged to hear 
 him. Mr. Fergufon left me upon this anfwer, 
 but told me, when he had fpoke with my lord 
 Argyll I fhould hear from him, for he was 
 fure my lord would defire to fpeak with me ; 
 F 4 but 
 
[ 72 ] 
 
 but I never heard afterwards that he did, nor 
 did I believe any thing of Mr. Fergufon's 
 fiory, but looked upon it as an imaginary 
 rebellion of his own brain : but had I given 
 credit to it, I would not at this time have 
 drawn my fword againft the King, tho, by 
 doing fo, I had been fure of reftoring myfelf 
 to my former condition in England ; and my 
 reafon was this; I had fome confiderable time 
 before been told by one Mr. Steward, who 
 lived in Utrecht, that the King in his demands 
 to the States of that province had excepted the 
 duke of Monmouth and myfelf from being 
 delivered by them into his hands, tho' he 
 required the delivery of all others within the 
 proclamations fled thither for proteftion. Whe- 
 ther my intelligence was falfeor not, I know 
 not, but I looked upon it as true, and the 
 generous compaffion of the King beftowed on 
 one, who fo little deferved it, made that 
 impreflion upon me, that I repented at my 
 heart the having been engaged in fo many 
 rebellious defigns for difturbing the peace of 
 his government. I hope I may be believed 
 in this, iince it is no excufe for the crimes I 
 committed before or fince, and therefore can 
 be of no advantage to me to tell fuch a lye, 
 even if it were.fo. 
 
 Some 
 
[73 ] 
 
 ■ Some time after my difcourfe with Mr. 
 Fergufon, the duke of Monmouth came 
 publicly to Bruflels, which, as near as 
 I can remember, was about the time of 
 Luxembourg's being befieged. Sir Thomas 
 Armftrong had juft before received a promife 
 from Berhn, of the employment before fpoken 
 of; and upon the news of the duke of Mon- 
 mouth's being at Bruflels, refolved to wait on 
 him, and to perfuade him (if poflible) to quit 
 the Spanifh fervice, for the employment we 
 thought he might have in the eledlor's, at the 
 expencc only of a journey to Berlin, Sir 
 Thomas ufed many arguments to perfuade 
 me to accompany him, which I refufed, tell- 
 ing him, that after all I had fuffered for 
 efpoufmg the duke of Monmouth's intereft, 
 and the fervice I had done him abroad, even 
 without his direftion, I had met with a very 
 ungrateful return from him, having then been 
 near a year out of England, and in all that 
 time had not received a letter, or fo much as 
 a civil meifage from him ; and therefore I 
 refolved to concern myfelf no further with 
 him nor his affairs ; and I wifh from my heart 
 I had kept that refolution. Sir Thomas went 
 his journey, and I continued at Cleve till he 
 returned from Bruffels to Rotterdam, from 
 
 whence 
 
[ 74 ] 
 
 whence he writ to me, and defired very ear- 
 ncftly to fee me there ; for that he intended 
 to go from Amfterdam to Berlin, and not by 
 the way of Cieve. Upon the receipt of his let- 
 ter, and having bufmefs of my own at that 
 time in Holland, I went to Rotterdam, where 
 Sir Thomas delivered me a letter very compli- 
 mxntal from the duke of Monmouth; but by 
 the fenfe and expreffions in it, I found I was 
 more obliged to Sir Thomas than him. Sir 
 Thomas Armftrong and captain Matthews 
 (who was with him) preffed me very earneftly 
 to go to Bruflels, and offered to go with me ; 
 but the letter from the duke of Monmouth 
 making me no fuch invitation, I refufed going 
 for the fame reafons I did before at Cleve. I 
 found by Sir Thomas that the duke of Mon- 
 mouth had no thoughts of going to Berlin, 
 believing it might prejudice him in England, 
 to be where either of us were who were then 
 outlawed. Sir Thomas and I left Rotterdam 
 in two or three days, defigning for Amfter- 
 dam: but in our way thither, were both 
 feized at Ley den ; the particulars of that I 
 think I need not relate. After my efcape 
 thence I returned to Cleve, and in a fliort 
 time after, my lord Argyll with feveral Eng- 
 lifli outlaws came thither ^ during my lord's 
 
 conti' 
 
[75 ] 
 
 continuance, I neither made nor received 
 a vlfit from him, nor had any difcourfe 
 with him. A little before my lord's de- 
 parture, Mr. Richard Goodenough (who was 
 very converfant with my lord and his com- 
 pany) walking with me begun a difcourfe 
 much to the fame purpofe as Mr. Fergufon's, 
 which I have before related; but with this 
 difference, that the duke of Monmouth's 
 being fent for was not propofed; and he only 
 mentioned as a perfon who might be very 
 ferviceable in fuch an undertaking. I made 
 the fame anfwer, as near as I can remember, 
 to Mr. Goodenough, as I had done before 
 to Mr. Fergufon: upon which he replied, 
 that all our friends on that fide the water 
 were very fenfible of the duke of Monmouth's 
 ingratitude, but thought me the greateft 
 inftance of it, and therefore wondered I would 
 not ad: without him; that they were confi- 
 dent he held a correfpondence with the King, 
 and had told all he knew to him ; but as for 
 his own part, he had a more charitable opi- 
 nion of him. After a long difcourfe, too 
 tedious and infignificant to relate, he afked 
 me, if a rifing were intended in England, 
 whether I would engage in it. To which 
 making him a very dubious reply, he prefled me 
 
 further 
 
[76 ] 
 
 further with this queftion ; that if Sir Wil- 
 liam Courtney and feveral other gentlemen 
 of quality, who were of my acquaintance, 
 were engaged in a defign to take arms, and 
 fhould make fuch a propofal to me, whether 
 I would then engage with them. To which 
 I anfwered, that if Sir William Courtney, or 
 the other gentlemen whofc names he did 
 conceal, fliould make fuch a propofition to 
 me, I fliould not want an anfwer for them : 
 and fo our difcourfe of that kind ended ; and 
 I hearing no more from them, did believe the 
 uneafinefs of their condition had put them 
 upon forming rebellions in their own imagi- 
 nations, which they knew not how to put in 
 execution. My lord Argyll and his company 
 left Cleve in a few days after my difcourfe 
 with Mr. Goodenough, but he continued 
 there till I received a letter from monficur 
 Fucks, wherein he told me, that letters from 
 the duke of Monmouth, direded to him, were 
 taken in Sir Thomas Armflrong*s pockets; 
 that they had made a great noife in the court 
 of England, and that not only Mr. Godol- 
 phin (now my Lord) had made a complaint 
 againft him to the elcdlor's envoy, for affift- 
 ing the King's enemies, but that the King had 
 slib complained, that the eledtor gave protec- 
 tion 
 
[77] 
 
 tion to fomc who had been in a confpiracy 
 againft his life 3 therefore he defired of me, 
 in the eledlor^s name, that all fuch perfons 
 would leave his territories. Upon which, 
 Mr. Goodenough, his brother, and Mr. 
 Nelthorpe did 5 but I thinking my cafe diffe- 
 rent from theirs, did diftinguifli between 
 them, in a letter to monfieur Fucks, and 
 defired him, that if the eledlor doubted the 
 truth of it, to fend it to the King, who I was 
 fure had too much juftice to contradldl what 
 I therein affirmed. Whether my letter was 
 fent to the King or not, I do not know, but 
 I had leave to continue at Cleve. During the 
 time of this intercourfe by letters with Mr. 
 Fucks, Bryan, a fervant of the duke of Mon- 
 mouth's, comes to Cleve, who at firftl thought 
 was fent with a letter or meffage to me; but I 
 found I was obliged to the fervant, and not 
 the mailer, for the honour of the vifit, his 
 bufinefs being at Berlin with monfieur Fucks, 
 to whom he had letters from the duke of 
 Monmouth, and orders to take the neareft 
 way thither. I was much furprized at this 
 extraordinary journey ; and the more fo, that 
 I had no account from the duke of Mon- 
 mouth of his bufinefs there. I did not ima- 
 gine it did relate to the employment I had 
 
 before 
 
[78 ] 
 
 before procured him fome affurances of; for 
 if he had thought of that, I promifed myfelf 
 the fatisfadtion of being acquainted with it, 
 having managed that whole affair myfelf, 
 and with fuccefs, without his orders or in- 
 ftruftions, with no other intent but to ferve 
 him : but I foon found myfelf miftaken in 
 my charitable opinion of his kindnefs and 
 civility to me, and that the only intent of that 
 journey was to procure himfelf the employ- 
 ment by his ou^n management; left if he 
 owed it to me, he fhould be obliged to give 
 me an employment under him, which he 
 thought would injure him in Ejigland. This 
 was difcovered to me many ways, but beyond 
 all contradiftion by a meflage I received from 
 him, by a friend of mine, to this eifed: : 
 That if I did come to Berlin, it was what he 
 could not help; but receiving a viidt from 
 me, or paying one to m^, v/as in his power, 
 and it would injure him if he did either j 
 therefore he defired me not to do one, nor 
 exped: the other ; he defired withal, I 
 would believe he had as great a love and kind- 
 nefs for me as ever ; which indeed 1 did do 
 him juftice in, by thinking I had then the 
 exad: meafure of it. But to return to Bryan, 
 whom 1 fuffered to continue his journey, which 
 
 ,1 could 
 
C 79 3 
 
 I could have prevented, had I acquainted hrs 
 mafter with the pofture of affairs at that 
 time at Berlin ; but I confefs I had malice 
 enough to defire that I might not be the only 
 one deceived : Co Bryan went to Berlin, and 
 delivered his letters to monfieur Fucks, who 
 was fo alarmed with the reports of the letters 
 which were taken with Sir Thomas Arm- 
 ftrong, the complaints made againft him by 
 the envoy in England to the eledor, the 
 noife it made at Berlin, and the frequent dif- 
 cburfes the French EmbafTador monfieur Ra- 
 binniac had with him upon that fubjedt, 
 that nothing was fo terrible to him as the 
 name of the duke of Monmouth, which 
 made him difpatch Bryan away in great hafte; 
 and fo the project: failed. 
 
 About the latter end of Auo;uft, or be^in- 
 ning of September, Bryan returning from Ber- 
 lin, took Cleve in his way to Bearing, where 
 his mafter then was, to whom I fent a letter 
 by him; the fubftance of it was, that I 
 having been twelve months out of England, 
 without having once the honour to fee him, 
 and being now refolved to take a long journey 
 to fettle in a place from whence there was 
 little probability of my returning, I did defire 
 to v/ait on him to bid him farcwel. The 
 country I intended to fettle in was Switzer- 
 land, 
 
[ 8o ] 
 
 land, where I heard I might Hve cheap, 
 which was a very neceffary inducement ta 
 one in my circumftances, who had little for 
 a fupport, and lefs to expedl from the duke 
 of Monmouth, who tho' he fhould have the 
 good fortune to obtain a conliderable employ- 
 ment abroad, did not defign me one under 
 him; which were hopes I did once flatter 
 myfelf with, till his obliging meflage unde- 
 ceived me ; and his grateful treatment of me 
 in many things, which I forbear to relate, 
 plainly fliewed me, that he thought me no 
 longer capable of ferving him ; and therefore 
 was to be laid afide like other ufelefs animals, 
 when they become fo. 
 
 In November following, the duke of Mon* 
 mouth appointed me a meeting at Runcum, 
 three hours from Bearing 3 at his leaving 
 Dearing, he pretended to go for BrufTels, but 
 gave his fervants the flip, and came to the 
 appointed place, where we met. It would 
 be almofl: endlefs and infignificant to give an 
 account of our tedious difcourfes, with which 
 we were both tired ; but in tlie end, he pre- 
 vailed with me to think no more of Switzer- 
 land, till his return out of England,^ whither 
 he was then going, as he told me, to make 
 fuit of his right in the manor of Spalding; 
 
 and 
 
[ 8i ] 
 
 and did alfo intend to wait privately on the 
 king, and to ufe hisutmoft intereft with him 
 in my behalf; which I extremely doubted, 
 he having once forgot it before. I accom- 
 panied him as far as Utrecht in his way to 
 ^ the Briile, and from thence returned to Cleve, 
 At our parting he promifed me, I fhould 
 hear from him fo foon as he came from Eng- 
 land 5 how well he kept his word with me 
 1 ihall mention in its proper place. 
 
 A little before Chrilftmas, fome friends of 
 mine at Cleve, who were going to the court 
 of Berlin (where they were very confiderable) 
 difcourfing me of my own affairs, and commi- 
 fcrating my condition, offered me ta employ 
 their utmoft intereft with the minifters, to 
 procure me a regiment of horfe in the Eledlor's 
 fervice. I thought the attenipt at that time 
 very unlikely to meet with fuccefs ; however 
 confented they fliould try; and knowing' moft 
 of the German courts to be very poor, and 
 the minifters by confequence generally very 
 mercenary (of which crime I muft acquit 
 monfteur Fucks, who is the moft generous 
 man I ever was acquainted with) I told 
 them I could procure two thoufand crowns, 
 which being managed by them to the beft 
 advantage, might do me more ftrvice, than 
 
 G ali 
 
L ^2 j 
 
 all the good-natured arguments they could 
 ufe. They went their journey, and foon 
 after their arrival at BerHn fent me a pro- 
 mife of the employment ; whereupon I em- 
 ployed a friend of mine to fome lords and 
 gentlemen in England (whofe names I (hall 
 have occafion to ufe in this relation) to ac- 
 quaint them I defired they would lend me 
 five hundred pounds among them to pur- 
 chafe a regiment of horfe in the Eleftor of 
 Brandenburgh's fervice, and that I would 
 repay it out of the profits of my employment. 
 I had many fair promifes from them, and 
 did not doubt the performance for many 
 reafons ; but I, who never was in the right 
 before, was miftaken then alfo. 
 
 About the latter end of December, or 
 beginning of January, the duke of Monmouth, 
 appeared publickly at Bruflels, and after 
 fome ftay there went to the Hague, from 
 whence I long expefted to hear from him ac- 
 cording to his promife at our parting 3 but 
 the good-natured fit which thenpofiefled him, 
 being over, he negleded to keep it, 
 
 A fortnight before the King's death cap- 
 tain Matthews came to fee me, and I ac- 
 quainted him with the afllurances I had of a 
 regiment at Berlin, and with my refolutions 
 
 of 
 
1 83 ) 
 
 of going thither ; whereupon he preffed me 
 very earneftly to return with him to the 
 Hague, and take my leave of the duke of 
 Monmouth 5 which I the more willingly 
 complied with, expecSing in Holland at that 
 time bills for the five hundred pounds before 
 mentioned. I went with him to the Hague, 
 where I faw the duke of Monmouth, who 
 told me he had not feen the King, being 
 advifed to the contrary by his friends in 
 England, and affured by them that there 
 was no hopes of doing me any fervice with his 
 Majefty. He acquainted me alfo, that the 
 dutchefs his wife had prevented his fde of 
 his right in the manor of Spalding (for 
 which he could have had ten thoufand pounds) 
 having obtained a grant from the King of his 
 perfonal eftate before he had his pardon : 
 He was extremely enraged with his wife, and 
 very much difturbed at his difappointment of 
 the money. I afked him how he intended 
 to difpofe of himfelf the approaching fum- 
 mer ; he replied. In the Emperor's fervice as 
 a volunteer. The next morning he talked of 
 going to Swedeland, and before night, told 
 me, he refolved to go to the court of Zell^ 
 where the prince of Orange had promiied 
 to introduce hi/ii, intending a journey thither 
 G a himfelf. 
 
[ H 3 
 
 himfelf. I acquainted him with the expec- 
 tations I had of an employment at Berlin, 
 and my refolutions of going thither, and 
 with the fum of money it would coft me > 
 but did not afk him at that time to lend it 
 me, nor did he proffer it. I would then 
 have taken my leave of him, but he defired 
 me to ftay fome time longer, telling me 
 there was a delign laid in the Hague again ft 
 his life, and acquainted m.e with the parti- 
 culars of it. 
 
 Two days after, we had news of the 
 King's death, which extremely furprized us 
 all, having not heard one word of his fick- 
 nefs. Upon this news the duke of Mon- 
 mouth took a refolution of going to Bruffels, 
 and I believe knew no more why, than he 
 did the reafons of his fo often changing his 
 refolutions before. The next night I took 
 my leave of him, and went to Amfterdam 5 
 I lay privately, no perfon but Mr Dare 
 knowing my lodgings, who coming often to 
 me, acquainted me, that Mr. Fergufon 
 knew of my being in town, was very inqui- 
 fitive after my lodgings, and had a great de- 
 fire to fpeak v/ith me ; which I did not in- 
 tend he fliould: but he had that opportunity 
 afterwards, at a Dutch merchant's, one mon- 
 
 fieur 
 
[ 85 ] 
 
 fieur Oylbrook, by whom I was invited to 
 ibpper, whither Mr. Fergufon came, being 
 alfo acquainted with him. Mr. Fergufon de- 
 firing to fpeak v/ith me alone, we retired 
 into another room, where after a long dif- 
 courfe of the duke of Monmouth's condud 
 during the time of his being beyond fea ; of 
 the many reports which had been fprcad by 
 himfelf and others to the duke of Mon- 
 mouth's prejudice ; of his ungrateful de- 
 portment to my lord Argyll, myfelf, and 
 many more -, of the apprehenfions moft had, 
 that he had conftantly held a correfpondence 
 with his father ; he faid all thefe fufpicions 
 were now to be laid afide, for no man could 
 apprehend his correfponding with your Ma- 
 jefty and all injuries on both fides to be remem'- 
 bered no more ; and that a perfed: unity 
 among us was abfolutely neceflary to preferve 
 the liberties of three kingdoms, and the pro- 
 teftant religion in them, and by confequence 
 in all Europe. And to me he recommended 
 the procuring a meeting between the duke of 
 Monmouth and the lord Argyll, that there 
 might be an amicable end of all differences, 
 and we might jointly apply ourfelves to the 
 redemption of our feveral countries, 
 
 G 3 At 
 
[ B6 ] 
 
 At the end of this learned harangue, 1 
 told Mr. Fcrgnfon, he could not direct his 
 difcourie to a more improper perfon than 
 myfelf, for that I had taken my leave of 
 the duke of Monmouth, had quitted all 
 thoughts of concerning myfelf any more 
 with publick affairs, and was going a long 
 iourney to fcttle where I hoped to live at 
 cafe ; that I iliould be glad to do good offices 
 between the duke of Monmouth and thofe 
 he had named, but my departure would be 
 too fuddcn to accomplilli that work. He 
 allied me w^here the duke of Monmouth was, 
 and v/hat refokuion he had taken upon the 
 news of the King's death. I told him he 
 was 2one to Bruffels, and that as for his in- 
 tentions, I knew them not, and it was im- 
 poffibic any body ihould, he changed them 
 fo often : Upon which Mr. Fergufon infome 
 heat faid, that if the duke of Monmouth did 
 not adl fpeedily for the redemption of his 
 country, there were thofe that would with- 
 out him. Our difcourfe ended for that time : 
 but after fupper, as I was returning home, 
 Mr. Fergufon overtook me in the ftreet, and 
 in a great paffion railed at the duke of Mon- 
 mouth, condemning him for great numb- 
 nefs of fpirit and fiothfulnefs, and faid, tho' 
 
 he 
 
[87 ] 
 
 he had been idle, there were others had 
 been acftive enough, I was to haveanfwered 
 him, but he was fo full of what he had to 
 fay, and fo impatient to unload himfelf, that 
 he would not hear a reply ; but went on to 
 this purpofe : That my lord Argyll, and fe- 
 veral Scotch gentlemen on that fide the wa- 
 ter, had for fome time held a correfpondence 
 with many noblemen and gentlemen in 
 Scotland ; that they had refolved on a rifing in 
 that kingdom, and that in order to it my 
 lord Argyll had bought a great quantity of 
 arms and all forts of ammunition for war, 
 and had got a great many Scotch officers, 
 which he had drawn from the fervice of 
 the Prince of Orange, and feveral German 
 Princes ; that he wanted for no money, and 
 that all things were in that readinefs for his 
 defign, that a difcovery now could not pre- 
 vent the execution. And therefore once 
 more he preffed me to fend for the duke of 
 Monmouth, that there might be a meeting 
 between him and my lord Argyll. 
 
 By this time Mr. Fergufon was out of 
 breath, and I had his leave to fpeak, and 
 told him, that I would not fend a letter to 
 Brufl^ls about fuch an affair as he had dif- 
 courfed of, and to defire the duke of Mon- 
 G 4 Kjaouth, 
 
[ 88 3 
 mouth to come to Amfterdam ; without ac^- 
 quainting him with the reafons why I thought 
 it improper : That I had no acquaintance to 
 fend whoni I could intruft with fuch a fecret,ancl 
 therefore I thought he had beft go to BrulTels^ 
 and wait on the duke oi Monmouth himfelf. 
 I knew that propofal y/ould flop his mouth, 
 and that he would not at that time truft God 
 Almighty with his perfon out of Amfter- 
 dam : and it proved fo, for he refufed to go^ 
 and talked no more to me upop that fubjedtj 
 but a few days after told me he was very 
 forry that the other night he had troubled 
 me with fo long a hiftory, in which there 
 was nothing of truth ^ and immediately fell 
 into a great paffion of railing againft feveral 
 of his^ countrymen, faying they had abufed 
 Jiim, in affuring him of the truth of all he 
 had acquainted me with ; which upon ex- 
 am.ination he found to be all falfe, and there- 
 fore he refolved to remove a great way from 
 thence, where he was offered a very good 
 living, and there intended to fettle. I feemed 
 to believe all he faid, and appeared as 
 much deceived, as I thought he would have 
 me ; but did then think more than I did 
 before, that there was fome rifing in- 
 tended in Scotland, and that the reafon of 
 
 Mr. 
 
( 89 ] 
 
 Mr. Fergufon's laft difcourfe was the great 
 coldnefs and backvvardnefs he obferved in mc 
 to engage the duke of Monmouth or myfelf 
 in it. 
 
 I was confirmed in that opinion, a few 
 days after, by Mr. Dare, who told me the 
 Scotch had fent to the duke of Monmouth, 
 and they received a very obliging anfvver 
 from him, and that the duke of Monmouth 
 and my lord Argyll would foon have a 
 meeting, and that Mr. Fergufon had told 
 him fo. While I was difcourfing with Mr. 
 Dare, I received a letter from monfieur 
 Fucks to this fenfe : That the Elector was 
 very defirous to be acquainted with the pre- 
 fent pofture of affairs in England, and had 
 commanded him to defire me to expedite 
 my journey thither, and to aflure me of a 
 kind reception, and that I might promife 
 myfelf the having what I had defired. 
 
 This invitation had been very agreeable 
 to me, if I had not wanted money at that 
 time to carry me to Berlin, which I labour- 
 ed to get, but in vain, and out of friend- 
 fhip forbear to name by whom refufed j but 
 the hopes of the five hundred pounds, fo 
 often promifed me from England, I ftill 
 pleafed myfelf with, till, about ten days 
 
 after 
 
[ 90 ] 
 
 after, I received another letter from monfieur 
 Fucks (very dijfFerent from the former) 
 wherein he acquainted me, that your Ma- 
 jefty had fent to the Eleftor, and did re- 
 quire from him, as a mark of his friendfhip, 
 the withdrawing his protection from me, 
 and that he would not fuifer me to continue 
 within his territories. Monfieur Fucks 
 condoled with me my hard fortune, but 
 iaid, reafons of flate obliged his mafter to 
 a compliance with your Majefty. This was 
 not the only difappointment I met with, for 
 foon after I found myfelf deceived in my ex- 
 pedation of the five hundred pounds, fo of- 
 ten promifed me, v/hich of all things that 
 ever befel me, furprized me the moft 5 fome 
 of thofe I would have borrowed it of ow- 
 ing their lives to me, and money which I 
 laid out in Holland, to fend away a witnefs 
 who would have hanged them ; for whofe 
 fakes I had not only hazarded my life, but 
 loft all in England I could once call my own. 
 I was at this time in as fad circumftances 
 as can well be imagined : I had before me 
 the profpeft of being always a vagabond, 
 and that a poor one too. I had loft all hopes 
 of the employment promifed me at Berlin, 
 and alfo of the retreat I had formerly founcj 
 
 in 
 
[ 9' 3 
 
 111 the Eleftor's country : I could not go to 
 Switzerland (where once I defigned) unlefs I 
 intended to flarve when I came there 5 being 
 difappointed and forfaken (and that barba- 
 roufly too) by thofe in England from whom 
 I had reafon to expect a better treatment; fo 
 that I had not a place to hide my head in, 
 except a garret in Amfterdam. This melan- 
 choly condition of mine was a very neceifary 
 preparative for the wicked undertaking I 
 engaged in afterwards ; which fell out after 
 this manner. Captain Matthews came fome 
 fliort time after thefe my misfortunes, one 
 morning to my chamber, and told me he 
 came from the duke of Monmouth, to pro- 
 vide a lodging for him in that city, and that 
 he would be there in two or three days: 
 that fince his own arrival at Amfterdam 
 (which was that morning) he had been with 
 Mr. Fcrgufon, who had entertained him 
 with a long difcourfe ; and fo repeated to me 
 the whole hiftory of my lord Argyll's pre- 
 parations for the rifing in Scotland, exactly 
 as Mr. Fergufon had told me it before; but 
 laid, Mi\ Fergufon had charged him not to 
 acquaint me with it, and affured him I knew 
 nothing of it from him. I immediately 
 acquainted captain Matthews with all the 
 
 dif~ 
 
[ 92 ] 
 
 (fiicourfes that had paffed between Mr. Fer- 
 gufon and me, which fatisfied us both as to 
 his honefty and fincerity ; but his poHticks we 
 could not comprehend. 
 
 Captain Matthews the fame day returned 
 to the duke of Monmouth, and in a day 
 or two both came to Amflerdam, where the 
 duke of Monmouth had a meeting the next 
 night with my lord Melvin, Sir Patrick 
 Hume, and two other Scotch gentlemen, 
 whbfc names I knew not, I was prefent at 
 their difcourfe, which was about the riling in 
 Scotland that was intended ; they difcourfed 
 of it in general; but the particular manner 
 of it, the place of landing, the affiftance 
 expected, and what preparations were made, 
 I found they knew nothing of; only that 
 my lord Argyll, v/ho would be in the town 
 the next night, would fully acquaint the 
 duke of Monmouth with every thing: and 
 did not doubt the giving him a full fatis- 
 faction, as to the probability of fuccefs. My 
 lord Argyll Came in a day or two, and waited 
 on the duke of Monmouth at Mr. Dare's, 
 where I then lodged with him : many Scotch 
 gentlemen accompanied my lord, who, after 
 the ceremony of a fhort vifit, withdrew ; my 
 lord refufing to acquaint any body with the 
 
 par^. 
 
[ 93 J 
 
 particulars of his defign, but the duke of 
 Monmouth; upon which I retired, and left 
 them together feveral hours. 
 
 After my lord Argyll was gone, the duke 
 of Monmouth told me he was abundantly 
 fatisfied with my lord Argyll's defign, and 
 the method he intended to ufe in the execu- 
 tion 5 that he had provided between nine and ten 
 thoufand Scotch arms, feveral field pieces, five 
 hundred barrels of powder, a fufiicient quan- 
 tity of bullet, and many other things necef- 
 fary for war ; that he was buying three fhips 
 to tranfport himfelf, his friends, and ammu- 
 nition, and fhould be ready to fail in a fort* 
 night; but would flay till a rifing could be 
 contrived in England, to keep time with his 
 in Scotland, which would be of great advan- 
 tage, by dividing your Majefly's forces. 
 
 While the duke of Monmouth was giving 
 me this relation, Mr. Wade and Mr. Tyle 
 came to wait on him, and told him that 
 one Mr. Smith was come to Amflerdam, 
 being fent from England by major Wildman 
 and others, and that if his grace pleafed, 
 they would bring him to wait on him; 
 which he appointed to be the next morning. 
 The duke of Monmouth gave Mr. Wade 
 and Mr. Tyle an account in general of my 
 
 lord 
 
I 9+ ] 
 
 ord Argyll's affair ^ but foon found thev 
 knew the principal part of it; which fur- 
 prized him, confidering my lord's great? pre- 
 tenfions to fecrecy. Mr. Fergufon came that 
 night to us, and gave an account of Mr, 
 Smith's bufinefs in general in England, 
 and defired the duke of Monmouth's leave 
 to bring him the next morningj that 
 his grace might receive a more particular 
 relation. 
 
 The next day Mr. Smith (whofe true name 
 is Cragg) came to wait on the duke of Mon- 
 mouth, and gave him this following account 
 of his bufinefs, I being prefent: Tiiat 
 he was fent from England by major Wild- 
 man (who gave him money for his journey) 
 to acquaint Mr, Fergufon, and other out- 
 laws in Amfterdam, that it was the defire of 
 all their friends, that there iliould be a perfedt 
 reconciliation between the duke of Mon- 
 mouth, my lord Argyll, and them ^ and that 
 they fhould ufe their utmoft endeavours to 
 obtain it, to the end there might be a con- 
 juncSion of counfels for the redemption of 
 three kingdoms j and that he was alfo ordered 
 to enquire, in what forwardnefs the Scotch 
 affair Was. The duke of Monmouth afked 
 him, if he had any meffage to him : he replied ^ 
 
 thofe 
 
[ 95 ] 
 
 thofe that fent him did not know he fliould 
 have the honour to fee him. I afked him 
 who knew of his coming and bufinefs, and 
 gave that advice he had mentioned, befides 
 major Wildman who fent him. He anfwered, 
 many knew of his being fent; but thofe he 
 had fpoke with at his coming away, and who 
 gave the advice, was my lord Devonfhire, 
 Mr. Freake, Mr. Hambden, and major 
 Wildman, and others he named of the city, 
 whom I have forgot. I afked him, what 
 difcourfe he had with them or others, about 
 the prefent pofture of affairs in England, and 
 the general inclinations of the people* He an- 
 fwered, my lord Devonfhire commanded 
 him, when he parted from him, to affiire 
 thofe gentlemen he was to fee beyond iea, 
 that no man in England was more ready to 
 draw his fword than himfelf, and it was alfo 
 the inclination of the people. It was the 
 opinion of all he converfed with, that if the 
 duke of Monmouth landed any where ia 
 England, with a fvvitch in his hand, he 
 might march witji fafety to Whitehall, there 
 was fuch an univerfal longing {<Dr him. 
 
 Upon his naming my lord Devonlli ire, I 
 fufpedted the truth of his relation ; and afked 
 him how he came to have that intimacv with 
 
 mv 
 
1 96] 
 
 my lord Devonfliire, that his lordfliip (liould 
 talk fo freely with him> that my lord was 
 never looked upon as one likely to engage in 
 fuch an undertaking, and had not formerly 
 been concerned with usj and that now being 
 come to a plentiful fortune^ living at eafe, 
 and in fafety, it was ftrange his lordfhip 
 fhould be fo forward to hazard his life and 
 eftate, haying never been applied to (as I 
 knew of) in fuch a matter. He replied, that 
 my lord Devonfhire had received too ma- 
 ny marks of his fidelity, to diftruft it, and 
 that Mr. Fergufon and others in Holland 
 knew very well that he had been employed 
 by fome in London to difperfe thofe books 
 which gave an account of my lord Effex's 
 death 5 and that feveral gentlemen had been 
 fo induftrious to detedt that hard murder, 
 that they had done it beyond all contradidlion, 
 having received a full account of it from one 
 who was prefent at the time of its being 
 committed, and was now fafcly difpofed of: 
 that he had been often with my lord Devon- 
 fhire from thofe gentlemen about that aifair, 
 and that my lord was fully acquainted with 
 all the particulars of that affaffination, and if 
 his late Majefty had lived but a little longer, 
 did refolve to fay it openly before him in 
 
 coun- 
 
[97 ] 
 
 council, but how referved it for the approach- 
 ing parliament, and would then bring it in 
 before the houfe of lords. He added farther, 
 that my lord . Devonfliire's friends were in 
 great apprehenfion that his lordlhip would be 
 aflaffinated ; for that it was known at White- 
 hall, that his lordfliip had fully difcovered 
 the murder of my lord EfTex, and was 
 mafter of all the parts of that affair, both as 
 to the contrivance and execution ; and there- 
 fore they advifed my lord to keep within, 
 or retire into the country till the parlia- 
 ment's fitting. He (aid his lordfliip being a 
 fcrave man, would not follow advice that 
 looked like fear, tho' he was apprehenfive 
 that his life was in danger, and that there 
 would be attempts to murder him, to flifle 
 the difcos'ery, which was not likely to be un- 
 dertaken afterwards by one of his quality. Mr. 
 Smith argued upon this his refolution, that 
 my lord Devonfhire being fo obnoxious at 
 court, and in danger of his life, and for- 
 merly fo zealous an affertor of the laws and 
 liberties of England, which were now almofl 
 deflroyed; it was not to be wondered at, 
 that his lordlhip was now fo forward to 
 engage for the redemption of his countrymen, 
 and fafcty of his own perfon. 
 
 H After 
 
[ 98 1 
 
 After this difcourfe Mr. Smith mthdrew, 
 and was ordered to come again another day -^ 
 and I being alone with the duke of Mon- 
 mouth, he afked me, whom I thought moft 
 proper for him to advife with on that fide 
 the water, about the management of the great 
 affair he was undertaking. I told him Mr. 
 Wade and Mr. Tily were men of good 
 underftanding, and could give him the beft 
 account of the weftern counties where they 
 had lived, and that Mr. Fergufon and Mr, 
 Goodenough could do the like for London ; 
 but that Mr. Goodenough was then at Lunen- 
 burgh. The duke of Monmouth had not the 
 beft opinion of Mr. Fergufon's fecrecy; and 
 tho* be did not diftruft his fidelity to him, yet 
 he thought he had as many confidents as 
 acquaintance 5 and therefore refolved to con- 
 ceal from him his place of fending, the 
 names of fome he intended to fend, and the 
 time of his goings the other three he ap- 
 proved of, and fent that night for Mr. Wade 
 and Mr. Tily to his chamber, where none 
 were prefent but the duke of Monmouth, 
 thefe two, and myfelf. After many dif- 
 courfes of the time and manner of rifing, 
 and the place where we fliould land, we were 
 all of this opinion, That the Weft was the 
 
 beft 
 
[ 99 ] 
 
 beft poft for the duke of Monmouth, and 
 Lynn the moft convenient part to land at; 
 that a gentleman fhould be fent to our friends 
 of the weftern counties, who had formerly 
 been trufttd, to prepare them for our recep- 
 tion ; that the lords and gentlemen of Che- 
 fliire, in whom we could confide, fhould 
 be alfo applied to, that they might rife 
 when they heard we were landed, which 
 would divide your Majefty's forces; and 
 that our friends in London fliould be ac- 
 quainted of it. They were not delired to 
 flir till your Majeily fhould march from 
 London towards us (which we were fo weak 
 to imagine) or fend mofl of your forces 
 thence; but above all things we refolved 
 that our riling in the Wefl fhould be as near 
 the time of my lord Argyll's as pofliblc; for 
 v/e were in great apprehenfion, that if my 
 lord landed any confiderable time before us; 
 your Majefly would fecure mofl of our friends 
 in England, at leaft all fufpeded to be fo. 
 Our next confideration was money ; but the 
 g-etting it we thought the greatefl difficulty 
 we had to encounter, and therefore 6000 1. 
 was all we intended to demand ; which toge- 
 ther with what the duke of Monmouth could 
 borrow upon his plate and jewels, we hoped 
 ' H 2 would 
 
[ 100 ] 
 would be enough for our enterprize. The 
 duke of Monmouth pitched upon captain 
 Matthews, as the propereft perfon to employ 
 to the lords and gentlemen of Chefhire 3 one 
 Mr. Bafcomb to the weftern gentlemen 3 and 
 one Mr. Smith to our friends in London j of 
 whom Mr. Wade, Mr. Tily, and Mr. Fer- 
 gufon gave (as they thought) a very good 
 charafter; alluring the duke of Monmouth 
 that he had difperfed many of the books 
 relating to my lord of Effex's death, and had 
 been fent over to them with money, and 
 employed in London according to the account 
 he had given, and in every thing behaved 
 himfelf very faithfully. Purfuant to the re- 
 folutions taken, the duke of Monmouth fent 
 captain Matthews to my lord Devonfhire, 
 lord Macclesfield, lord Delamere, lord Bran- 
 don, Mr. Charlton, and major Wildman : 
 To major Wildman he gave him a token 
 (formerly agreed on between the major and 
 himfelf) by which he might be fure that cap- 
 tain Matthews came from him, and might 
 recommend him to the perfons abovenamed ; 
 the token was this, that the major had fhewed 
 the duke of Monmouth a paper indented, 
 and gave him another which matched it, 
 which was to be fent by him to the major, 
 
 when 
 
[ lOI J 
 
 when he employed any one to him about 
 bufinefs of importance. The inftrud;ions given 
 to Matthews were as follow : That he fliould 
 acquaint the noblemen and gentlemen before 
 mentioned, that there was a perfedl reconcilia- 
 tion and agreement between the duke of Mon- 
 mouth, my lord Argyll, and all their friends on 
 our fide the water; that my lord Argyll had 
 given the duke of Monmouth a particular 
 account of his preparations for Scotland, his 
 correfpondence there, of the affiftance pro- 
 mifed him, and of all the fteps he intended 
 to take when landed ; with which he was fo 
 well fatisfied, that he thought in all probabi- 
 lity my lord Argyll would be mafter of 
 Scotland in a fliort time, if not prevented by 
 forces from England : it was therefore thought 
 highly neceflary, that a rifing in England 
 fhould keep time with that in Scotland 
 (which would give a diverfion) and that 
 tho* my lord Argyll would be ready to fail 
 in a fortnight, yet he would flay as long as 
 poffible without prejudicing his defign, that 
 there might be preparations made for the war 
 in England: that the duke of Monmouth 
 thought the Weft the propereft place for him 
 to land in, and defired my lords Macclesfield, 
 Delamere, and Brandon, that they woald 
 
 H 3 Aot 
 
[ 102 ] 
 
 not take it ill, that he declined Chefliirc, It 
 being impoffible for him to get thither with- 
 out great danger; and they men of quality 
 and intereft in their country, there was lefs 
 need of his prefence than in the V/eft, where 
 there was no man of quality great enough to 
 pretend to command an army, and to whom 
 the gentry would readily pay obedience; that 
 he defired them to make fpeedy preparations 
 in Chefhire for the rifing there, tho' he 
 did not defire it fhould be till they heard he 
 was acftually in arms in the Weft, that they 
 may have time to form an army into fome 
 order before they could be attacked; and 
 that when they were, he believed it could 
 be but weakly, imagining the greateft ftrength 
 would be fent agalnft him : that he left it to 
 my lord Devonfhire's choice, whether he 
 would rife in Derbyfhire, and join my lord 
 Macclesfield in Chefhire, or come to him 
 fingly in the Weft; but if he might prefcribe 
 to his lordfliip, he defired he would do the 
 former, which he thought would be of 
 greater ufe : that Charlton and his fon ftiould 
 go into Shropfliire, if it were thought they 
 could be more ferviceable there than in Lon- 
 don, otherwife continue in town for that 
 rifing. Matthews was alfo ordered to defire 
 
 maior 
 
[ 103 ] 
 
 major Wildman to procure a meeting between 
 the lords (that they might agree all things 
 between themfelves) and to aflure them, 
 if they had any advice to offer the duke of 
 Monmouth, of his ready compliance; but of 
 all things he recommended to them expedi- 
 tion, that all might be ready before the fit- 
 ting of the parliament; for he thought the 
 propereft time for him to land was a day or 
 two before their meeting, for that then mod 
 of thofe who would oppofe us, w^ould be in 
 town, and only our friends, who had notice 
 of our coming, ready in the country to receive 
 US; that the lord-lieutenants, deputy lieu- 
 tenants, and other militia officers would be 
 in the parliament, or in London, which 
 would prevent the militia being raifed againft 
 us, by which means we fhould get moft of 
 their arms and horles, and have the affift- 
 ance of thofe among them who were inclined 
 to us. What further inflrudions were given 
 to Matthews I know not, for the duke of 
 Monmouth faw him laft at Rotterdam, where 
 I was not, and fent him away from thence 
 by the way of Calais ; but the duke of Mon- 
 mouth told me afterwards, that he had 
 ordered him to fpeak to Mr. Langfton and 
 one Mr. Nedly or Medly (who were officers 
 H 4 in 
 
[ I04 ] 
 
 Jn your Majefty's guards) and to fomc other 
 officers who were his friends ; but I am not 
 fure he named them to me, or if he did, I 
 have forgot their names. 
 
 Immediately after Matthews was gone, the 
 duke of Monmouth fent Mr. Badfcomb for the 
 Weft, but ordered him to go by London, and 
 recommended him to Matthews, by the fame 
 token he had given Matthews to major Wild- 
 man, to the end he might be introduced by 
 him to my lord Brandon, and by him to the 
 other lords, to confirm what IVIatthews had 
 acquainted them with. After that he was 
 ordered to find out Mr. Frcake as foon as pof- 
 iible, who we knew would be zealous to 
 ferve our defign, and had a general acquaint- 
 ance in the weftern counties, and particularly 
 with moft of the gentlemen Mr. Badfcomb 
 was to apply to, which were thefe, Sir Fran- 
 cis Rowles, Sir Walter Young, Sir Francis 
 Drake, Mr. Stroud, Mr. Trenchard, Mr. 
 Hucker of Taunton, and feveral others in 
 and about that town. Mr. Badfcomb's inftruc- 
 tions were much the fame as captain Mat^ 
 thews's : he was to acquaint thofe gentlemen 
 with the Scotch affair, with the three rifings 
 intended in England, and that the duke of 
 Monmouth's poft wpuld be in the Weft with 
 
 them^ 
 
[los 3 
 
 them, where he did defire they would pre- 
 pare their friends for the receiving him againft 
 the beginning of May; and that for powder, 
 arms, and all forts of ammunition for war, 
 he would bring them with him. At the fame 
 time Mr. Smith was difpatched for London, 
 who was to fpeak to my lord Devonfliire, 
 colonel Danvers, major Wildman, Mr. Hamb- 
 den, major Bremen, Mr. Difney, Mr. Thim- 
 blcton, Mr. White or Whitehead, Mr. Hop- 
 per, and many others I remember not. The 
 inftrudlions to Mr. Smith were generally the 
 fame as thofe to captain Matthews, but with 
 this difference, that the duke of Monmouth's 
 intention of landing in the Weft was not told 
 him, for we defigned that a fecret to all thofe 
 he was to fpeak to, but thofe whom Mat- 
 thews was fent to acquaint with it; and 
 therefore Smith, as to our landing, was 
 ordered only to tell them, that the duke of 
 Monmouth would certainly land before the 
 parliament fat, in fome county at a confider- 
 able diftance from London, where the lords 
 who were his friends fhould advife him; 
 and that he defired them and the reft of his 
 friends in the city, not to ftir till your Majcfty 
 ihoald march with your forces from London, 
 f^r fend the greateft part of them thence ; and 
 
 that 
 
[ io6 ] 
 
 that he did defign one infarrecSlion inChefhirc, 
 and another in fome other county, where he 
 would be himfelf : and to my lord Devonfhire 
 he was ordered to make a compliment from the 
 duke of Monmouth, afluring his lordfliip 
 of his entire friendfhip, and of the great joy 
 he had to hear of his lordfhip's good intentions, 
 and that he had fent captain Matthews to him 
 and the reft of the lords, to acquaint them 
 with the pofture of the Scotch affair, and his 
 own defigns as to England j upon which he 
 defired their opinions, and did engage to 
 them, that if they gave their words to cap- 
 tain Matthews, that they would rife with 
 him, he would venture his life upon them, 
 and land as near the time he had named to 
 them, as his preparations would give him 
 leave. To major Wildman, Mr. Hambden, 
 and Mr. Charlton, he was ordered to apply 
 for the 6000 1. and to them only. Thefe 
 were all the inftruftions given to captain Mat- 
 thews, Mr. Badfcomb, and Mr. Smith, to 
 the beft of my remembrance at prefent. If 
 they had any other private inftrudlions, they 
 were not known to mo: they were all or- 
 dered to make what hafte back again they 
 could. Soon after thefe gentlemen were gone, 
 my coufin Henry Ireton came over from 
 
 England 
 
[ I07 1 
 
 England to me about my own private 
 affairs, but in a very unfortunate time for 
 him 5 for before he came he knew nothing 
 of our treafonable intentions, but was ac- 
 quainted with them by us, and fent back to 
 Englanci by the duke of Monmouth, with 
 the fame inftrudlions, and to the fame per- 
 fons that Matthews was fent, as the duke of 
 Monmouth told me, for I was not prefent 
 when he received them, nor did I fee him 
 afterwards, being at Amfterdam when the 
 duke of Monmouth gave him his orders at 
 Rotterdam : From thence he went ftraight to 
 the Brillt over for England in the packet-boat. 
 Our meffengers being all thus difpatched for 
 England, we began to confider the ftrength 
 of your Majefty's forces, and the affiftance 
 you might poffibly have from abroad; and 
 fome among us were afraid that the French 
 king would fend your Majefty fome of his 
 forces if you required them ; but the duke of 
 Monmouth and myfelf were lefs apprehenfive 
 than the reft, having fome rcafons to believe, 
 that the French king would have his hands 
 too full at that time to give the affiftance of 
 his forces abroad: However we did not dif- 
 approve of a propofition made by Mr. Fergu- 
 ion to this purpofe, that there being four of 
 
 the 
 
the chiefeft lords (as they call them) of 
 Amfterdam of his acquaintance, who knew 
 in general 6f the Scotch affair (and had fafely 
 Inquired of him if nothing in England could 
 be done of that kind) they fhould be applied 
 to, as from the duke of Monmouth, and 
 only in general acquainted with our defign in 
 England, and aiked that if the French king 
 ihould affift againft us, what we might expert 
 from their ftate. Mr. Fergufon named the 
 four lords, but I remember two only, mon- 
 fieur Haddaw, and monfieur Boreale the 
 fcout of Amfterdam. Mr. Dare knowing 
 Boreale very well, was ordered to difcourfe 
 with him according to Mr. Fergufon's pro- 
 pofition, and Mr. Fergufon undertook to 
 manage his own project himfelf with the other 
 three. The greateft advantage we pro- 
 mifed ourfelves from thefe lords, was intelli- 
 gence of what paffed at the Hague, and a 
 connivance at our preparations, both of 
 which we expeded, knowing they wiflied 
 well to our undertakings, and would be 
 obliged by the truft we repofed in them. Mr. 
 Fergufon in a few days brought this anfwer 
 from monfieur Haddaw and the other lords, 
 that they could not take upon them to fay 
 what the States would do in fuch a C2^fe as we 
 
 had 
 
[ 1^9 1 
 
 had ftatcd to them, nor was it proper for 
 them to inquire of any, but that we might 
 well imagine, it being the intercft of their 
 ftate to fupport the proteflant intereft in 
 Europe, they would not willingly fee it 
 deftroyed in England, and that for their own 
 particulars, they were infinitely obliged to us 
 for the confidence we had in them, and 
 wifhed well to us and our defign. The 
 anfwer from monfieur Boreale was much to 
 the fame purpofe, but with this addition, 
 that he would conftantly acquaint us with the 
 demands of your Majefty's envoy, the States 
 refolutions upon them, and with whatever 
 he heard that concerned us, and that we 
 might promife our felves fafety in that city, 
 for he would execute no orders to our preju- 
 dice without giving us timely notice to prepare 
 for him. His intelligence afterwards was of 
 that ufe to us, that without it, neither my 
 lord Argyll nor the duke of Monmouth could 
 have failed from Amfterdam with their pro- 
 vifions for war, fuch a prodigious noife did 
 they make through all Holland. It would 
 be very tedious to acquaint your Majefty with 
 the many defigns we had to apply ourfelves 
 to feveral princes in Germany and to the 
 king of Swedeland for afliftance, and of very 
 
 little 
 
[ no ] 
 
 little ufe I think for your Majefty to know: 
 Therefore I fhail return to our meffengers 
 fent into England, who had been gone three 
 weeks, and had given us no account of their 
 fuccefs. At laft the duke of Monmouth 
 received a letter from captain Matthews writ 
 after the ftyle of a merchant ; but where the 
 vifible letter ended, there began another 
 which appeared when wetted with a water 
 for that purpofe, the fubflance of it was as 
 near as I can remember to this purpofe : That 
 he had been with major Wildman, who told 
 him there never was fuch a ferment in Eng- 
 land as at that time, occafioned by the great 
 heats at eleftions, and there was a general 
 inclination in the kingdom to rife, but that 
 fome of the gentry, he feared, were not to be 
 relied on : however he would obey the duke 
 of Monmouth's commands, and nothing 
 fhould be ncgledted, and did believe the 
 affairs of Scotland would be a fufficient fpur 
 to all that were backward in Fi;ngland. 
 
 About this time my lord Argyll being preiTed 
 by his correfpondents in Scotland to delay no 
 longer coming, and being at a great expence 
 in maintaining the Scotch officers he got, and 
 many other poor Scotchmen, and finding by 
 Matthews's letter a pretty good account of 
 
 Eng. 
 
[ I" 1 
 
 England, refolved to get all things ready 
 for his voyage, that he might have it in 
 his power to fail in a day or two's warning 
 if he pleafed. To that end he fcnt for his 
 officers and others (whom he had difperfed in 
 feveral parts of Frizeland and fome towns in 
 Holland) to Amfterdam, where he had pro- 
 vided them lodgings by fours and fives to a 
 houfe, commanding them to keep very pri- 
 vate; but contrary to thofe orders they ap- 
 peared fo publickly in all parts of Amfterdam, 
 and in fuch numbers, that they were in two 
 or three days as much ftarcd at and talked of, 
 as the Bantummites when they were here, 
 and all people in Holland difcourfed publickly 
 of my lord ArgylPs expedition ; upon that he 
 refolved to be gone : but that which inclined 
 him moft to it was a meifage we received by 
 Mr. Dare from monfieur Boreale to this 
 effedt: That my lord Argyll's defign was fo 
 public at the Hague, that Mr. Skelton would 
 certainly in a day or two require the States to 
 feize his fhips, which they could not refufe 
 if any proof were made (as he heard there 
 would be) of the expedition they were going 
 upon y and that then it would not be in the 
 power of the lords of the admiralty (tho' he 
 had friends there) to delay the flopping him 
 
 above 
 
[ 112 ] 
 
 above two or three days. Upon this meflage 
 my lord was fo alarmed, that he went on 
 board with his friends in fuch halle, that he 
 was forced to ftay four or five days after in 
 the Zuder fea, to take on board his arms and 
 ammunition. The money my lord had to 
 make his preparations was, as I have been 
 informed, 7000I. or more, from Mrs. Smith; 
 a 1000 1. from Mr. Badfcomb; near a 1000 1, 
 from Mr. Locke; a 1000 1. from a merchant 
 who died in Holland very lately, I have at 
 prefent forgot his name, but may remember it 
 when I hear it; what other fums of money 
 he had I know not. Soon after my lord 
 Argyll's departure, Mr. Dare received a letter 
 from one in Tauntqn, which undcf a cant 
 gave a good account of our affairs there, and 
 another letter came to one Mr. Scroope (who 
 lodges at Mr. Dare's) from his mother who 
 lives near Briftolj fhe told him in it, that 
 Mr. — had been in the Weft, and had 
 lodged at her houfe; by which we imagined 
 our intelligence from Taunton was by his 
 directions. Upon the receipt of thefe letters 
 and that from Matthews formerly mentioned, 
 the duke of Monmouth being encouraged 
 (and having given his word to my lord Argyll 
 to make all the hafte he could for England) 
 
 imme- 
 
1 113 1 
 
 immediately befpoke his arms and ammuniti- 
 on, and the buying two fliips to tranfport them, 
 and engaged his jewels, plate, and a great 
 quantity of goods to Mr. Wafliington, for the 
 payment of 32000 gilders; which fum he 
 received, and thought would be fufficient 
 till the 6000 1. expefted from England was 
 returned. Soon after thefe preparations Mr. 
 Smith came to us from England, the exad 
 time I know not, but I remember he gave us 
 a particular account of your Majefty*s corona- 
 tion, and faid, if it had not been for the great 
 induftry of colonel Danvers and others of our 
 friends in the city, there had been a rifing at 
 that time, which was defigned by fome hot 
 headed men in London, who had drawn 
 feveral of their friends from Hertfordfhire and 
 Effex to London to the number of 500, with 
 intention to oppofe your Majefty's coronation ; 
 which they had attempted if they had not 
 been aflured from good hands that the duke 
 of Monmouth would land very fuddenly, 
 and defired to have patience till that time. 
 From major Wildman he brought this mef- 
 fage, that according to the duke of Mon- 
 mouth's command he had difcourfed with the 
 lords and others, that they were all of opi- 
 nion the people of England v/cre generally 
 
 I inclined 
 
[ 114 ] 
 
 inclined to rife, but they thought the proper* 
 eft time to rife would be after my lord Argyll's 
 landing, for that would put fire in all, and 
 your Majefty would certainly fend againft him 
 fome of your forces in England, which would 
 fo weaken your Majefty here, that when we 
 landed we fhould meet with little oppofition. 
 We laughed at the advice, and looked upon it 
 as major Wildman's only, whom wc thought 
 fo blinded by fear at our near approach to 
 ailion, that he did not fee the folly of his 
 advice, and the weakncfs of his argument 
 upon it, nor the danger he was expofcd to if 
 we delayed long, after my lord Argyll's land- 
 ing: as for the 6000 1. he faid they could 
 not raife it, and fend it over without great 
 danger of difcovery, nor did he think it 
 neceffary for us to make any great preparation 
 of arms, the people of England being well 
 armed ; that he advifcd the duke of Mon- 
 mouth above all things to take upon him the 
 title of King (and ufed many arguments for 
 it too tedious to repeat) and that he fhould 
 provide himfelf if poflible of a broad feal, 
 and threaten great feveritics in his declaration 
 to all that oppofed him. 
 
 The duke of Monmouth afked Mr. Smith 
 
 if he had been with my lord Devonfliire, 
 
 2 and 
 
[ "5 ] 
 
 and he replied no, but major Wildman had 
 fpoke with his lordfhip, and had commanded 
 him to affure his Grace from him, that he- 
 might depend upon my lord^s doing all things 
 for his fervice that he could expert from him. 
 He afked him if he had feen the reft of the 
 lords 5 he faid yes, at major V/ildman's when 
 he received his inftrudiions. Charlton being 
 bid to name who he faw there, he faid, my 
 lord Macclesfied, lord Delamere, and lord 
 Brandon ; but afterwards recolleding himfelf, 
 he faid, one of them was not come to town, 
 but expedled daily, and named either my 
 lord Macclesfield or my lord Brandon as the 
 abfent perfon, but which of them I cannot 
 remember; the reft he faid were there. As 
 to our friends in the city, he faid they were- 
 all ready, but very impatient ; however would 
 obey the commands he had given them from 
 his Grace, and that they had prepared above 
 500 men, as well horfed and armed, as the 
 guards in London and Weftminfter, who- 
 upon the news of his Grace*s landing fhould 
 come to him, and that there was alio a con- 
 fiderable number of horfe in Bedfordfliire and 
 Buckinghamflhire well armed, acquainted 
 with, and prepared for his landing, who 
 were reiblved to do the like : That Mr-. 
 
 I 2 Hooper 
 
In6J 
 
 Hooper had fpoke to Sir Francis Rowles, 
 who would rife in Hampfhire and join his 
 Grace if poffiblej foi it was believed he would 
 chafe one of the weftern counties to. land in 5 
 that all his friends in London begged of him 
 to lay his commands upon Sir Robert Payton 
 to continue in London for that rifing (wliere 
 he would be of great ufe) otherwife he would 
 certainly come to him at his landing. The 
 duke of Monmouth ajfked Mr. Smith how 
 the 500 hcrfe fhculd get from London to 
 him ; their meeting together was impoffiblc 
 without being cbfcrved, and then they would 
 be attacked by the horfe guards : to which he 
 anfweredj that when they knew exaftly the 
 time of his Grace's landing, they would a 
 little before difperfe fome of them in the 
 little towns near London and in the country 
 thereabouts r that feveral fliould go to Epfom 
 under pretence of drinking the waters, and 
 that if his Grace would let a man on fhorein 
 his voyage to his port, to bring them news 
 to London of his being upon the coaft, and 
 at what place he would land, they fhould 
 have the intelligence before your Majefty, and 
 that then thofe v/ho were quartered at Epfom 
 fjiould furprize your Majefty's forces at King- 
 ilon, and th^ like fhould be done at Stanes 
 
 and 
 
[ ^'7 3 
 
 and Egham, and thofe who were in London 
 would agree with the others of a general ren- 
 dezvous at fome fmall diftance from hence, 
 where being all in a body, they c ould make 
 their way to his Grace. 
 
 The duke of Monmouth being difap- 
 pointed of the fix thoufand pounds he ex- 
 pefted from England, and thinking it ne- 
 ceffary to provide a frigate to convoy him 
 over, treated with one monfieur de Blund, 
 a Dutch merchant, to lend him more money 
 on his goods in Mr. Wafliington's hands ; 
 which he undertook, and engaged to pay 
 Mr. Wafliington the 32000 gilders, and to 
 make that up feventy thoufand gilders to 
 the duke of Monmouth ; which fum he did 
 lend him, but defired him to increafe his 
 fecurity if poffible ; whereupon the duke of 
 Monmouth fent Mr. Bernadifton with a 
 letter to Mr. Papillon, giving him an ac- 
 count of his prefent occafion for money, and 
 defiring him to lend him what he could con- 
 veniently fpare : Mr. Bernadifton's private 
 inftrucflions were, that if he could get no 
 ready money from him, he fhould try if he 
 would accept a bill for five hundred pounds, 
 payable at three months fight to Monfieur 
 de Blund : what anfvver Mr. Bernadifion 
 had I have forgot ; but I am fure no mo- 
 ^ my came^ nor v/as any bill fign'd, Mr, 
 
[ ii8 ] 
 
 Mr. Showers (Mr. Bernadifton's tutor) 
 was alfo fent by the duke of Monmouth to 
 Sir Patience Ward, with a letter to the fame 
 purpofe, as that to Mr, Papillon, but with 
 better fuccefs, for Sir Patience engaged to 
 pay five hundred pounds to Mr. Shov/ers, 
 which he made over to Monficur de Blund, 
 as a further fecurity for the money he had 
 fent. The duke of Monmouth had money 
 prefented by Mrs. Smith, Mr. Lock, Mon- 
 iieur Oyhnbrooke, Monfieur de Blund, Mr. 
 Bernadifton and one or two more, whofe 
 nam.es I do not remember ; nor do I know 
 the fums that were given him. 
 
 A great part of the goods made over as a 
 fecurity for the feventy thoufand gilders, 
 were my lady Henrietta Wentworth's, or 
 her mother's, but I cannot diftinguifh be- 
 tween the duke of Monmouth's and theirs. 
 About a week cr ten days after Smith's 
 coming to Amfterdam, one Mr. Jones came 
 to us, being fent by our friends in London ^ 
 the account he gave of things exaftly agreed 
 with what Mr. Smith had told us -, but the 
 chief end of his coming w^as to haften us 
 over with all convenient fpeed, for it was 
 greatly feared fome hot-headed adion would 
 be attempted by fome in London, which 
 Wis once prevented before the coronation ; 
 
 the 
 
Che particulars of that defign he gave the 
 very lame account of, as Mr. Smith had 
 done, and alfo of the horfe that were ready 
 in London, to come to the duke of Mon* 
 mouth at his landing, the manner of their 
 getting out of town, and their intentions to 
 furprlfe your Majefty^s forces in the towns 
 before named, and I think did alfo mention 
 Uxbridge as another town, where your Majefty 
 had forces, which they defigned alfo to attack. 
 
 About a week after Jones's arrival our 
 frigate was ready to put to fea, for which we 
 had waited fourteen days, after all our other 
 preparations were ready, which were as fol- 
 lows, 1460 fairs of defenfive arms; iqq 
 mufquets and bandallers ; 500 pikes 3 as 
 manyfwords; 250 barrels of powder, be- 
 fides what was provided for the frio-ate ; a 
 fmall number of double carabins and^piftols, 
 the quantity of them I cannot remem.ber \ 
 our frigate carried two and thirty guns, and 
 we had befides four fmall iield-pieces. 
 
 All things being ready for our expedition, 
 the duke of Monmouth fent Mr. Smith 
 back again for England, to acquaint major 
 Wildman and all the lords, and all the 
 reft of our friends, that he would fail by 
 that time Smith could get to them, and 
 tJiercfore dcfired they would be ready in their 
 
 icveral 
 
t I20 3 
 
 feveral pofts ^ that he had followed their 
 advice of flaying till my lord Argyll was 
 landed, againft his will, being difappointed 
 of money, but that if he could have come 
 fooner he would, knowing that my lord 
 Argyll intended to mention his landing in 
 England to encourage his own countrymen ; 
 upon which he feared many in England 
 would be fecured 5 that he would not fail to 
 fet one on fliore in his voyage to his port, 
 who fhould bring them notice of his being 
 upon the coaft, and of the place where they 
 fhould come to him. After Mr. Smith was 
 gone, the winds being contrary, and very 
 tempeftuous feveral days, the duke of Mon- 
 mouth fent Mr. Jones for England, with 
 the fame meflage to our friends as he had 
 done by Mr. Smith, and gave him a paper 
 fealed up which he obliged him to promife 
 not to open till he was at fea, wherein he 
 named the place he would land at, that Mr. 
 Jones might condudt our friends from Lon- 
 don to us. Two or three days after Mr. 
 Jones was gone we went of a Saturday 
 night on board two lighters at Amfterdam, 
 which were to carry us on board our fhips 
 at the Texell. The winds being contrary 
 and blowing very hard, we did not get thi- 
 ther till Saturday following, and then we 
 
 were 
 
[ 121 ] 
 
 Were flopped there by an order from the 
 States General, of which we had notice 
 enough given us, and dired:ions how to obey$ 
 which we obfervcd the next mornine by 
 fetting fail, though we were under aricfl. 
 The wind was fo contrary moft part of our 
 voyage, that we were eighteen days between 
 Amfterdam and Lime. The night before 
 our landing we fet Mr. Dare on fhore^ 
 who was ordered to go to Mr. Speaker and 
 give notice of our being come, that intelli- 
 gence of it might be fent from thence to all 
 our friends in that country, and to thofe at 
 London ; which was accordingly done. 
 
 Two or three days after our landing, cap- 
 tain Matthews came to us, and with him 
 Mr. Thomas Hooper, and Mr. Legge* 
 Matthews had promifed us that all the lords 
 had afTured him to rife in Hampfhire, and 
 that there would be a rifmg alfo in and about 
 Limington, and he thought they would join 
 with my lord Wiitfhire, and force their way 
 to us ; any other way, they all faid, it was. 
 almoft impoffible for our friends to get to 
 us, the country was fo guarded, and all 
 travellers fo ftridly examined : which intel- 
 ligence we foon found true, by thofe who 
 came to us fcatteringly from London, and 
 alfo that our longer voyage was the occafior^ 
 
 K of 
 
[ ^02 ] 
 
 of the country's being fo ready to oppofe us% 
 your Majefty having had notice of our being 
 gone from Amfterdam a confiderable time 
 before we landed. Mr. Badfcomb told us 
 that Sir Francis Rowles and Mr. Stroud 
 were prifoners, otherwife would have been 
 with us, but Sir Walter Yonge was very- 
 cool in the matter ; vi'hich v/c wondered at, 
 who knew how aftive he had been in my 
 lord Ruffers time : Mr. Trenchard, he faid, 
 was gone for France. The Day we marched 
 from two men came to us, from 
 
 our friends in London, they were recom- 
 mended to major Mcrley and Mr. Jones ., 
 their bufmefs was to acquaint the duke of ^ 
 Monmouth, that feveral thoufands were 
 lifted in London, and were to be under the 
 command of colonel Danvers, unlefs his 
 Grace appointed another head : that they 
 were ready to rife, and could do fo with 
 great fafety (as they believed) your Majefty 
 having fent many of your guards from Lon- 
 don, and thofe forces your Majefty had 
 newly raifed had many among them, 
 
 feveral others, who were our friends ; that 
 the reafon of their not rifing before was, 
 their expcdations of the Chefliire rifing 
 (which they ftill daily aflured us of) and 
 the news of his Grace's being blocked up in. 
 
 Taunton, 
 
Taunton, and the not having received his 
 commands to ftir. The duke of Monmouth 
 fent them immediately back again to Lon- 
 don, and w^ith them a fervant of his own, 
 that had formerly waited on his children ; 
 their inftruftions were to tell our friends, 
 that he was affured there would be fuddenly 
 a rifing in Chefhire, but however would not 
 have them delay rifing, if they could with 
 a fair profpefl: of fuccefs. That he defired 
 them to fend them down Sir Robert Pay ton 
 if they could fpare him, and that as for 
 colonel Danvers, he thought him a proper 
 perfon to command them. At their parting 
 from us they affured the duke of Mon- 
 mouth he fhould hear they were adlually in 
 arms in five or fix days, tho' they feared 
 many of their fpies were fecured, which 
 they had heard fince they came from London,^ 
 but did not know who they were. 
 
 Five or fix days after, the duke of Mon- 
 mouth fent his chaplain Mr. Hooke to 
 London, with pofitive orders to our friends 
 to rife, and that with all the fpccd they 
 could : major Manley, Mr. Fergufon and 
 Mr. Jones gave him tokens to thofe he was 
 to fpeak with. A day or two after he was 
 gone, major Manley*s fon, who had been in 
 prifonj came with this meffige to the duke 
 
 of 
 
[ 124 ] 
 
 of Monmouth from major Wildman's wife^ 
 that Mr. Indenture (by which was meant 
 major Wildman) did affure his Grace, that 
 my lord Delamere was gone into Chefhirc 
 to rife, and that he might depend upon it j 
 and that our friends in London were all ready 
 to rife alfo, and expedled only his command j 
 and that as for himfelf he was ready to be 
 difpofed of by him, how, and where he 
 pleafed. Major Manlcy's fon came from 
 London very near the time of the other two 
 meffengers who v/ere returned, but whether; 
 juft before or after I cannot tell. Upon re- 
 ceiving this meffage, the duke of Monmouth 
 fent next morning major Manley for London, 
 with orders for their Ipeedy rifing, and to 
 affift them himfelf, and to defirc major 
 Wildman to do fo. This was the laft mef- 
 fage the duke of Monmouth fent to London 
 within two or three days after, God delivered 
 us into your Majefty's hands. 
 
 FORD GREY. 
 
 ^Icniorandum, That the original of this infor- 
 mation, being fevcn fheets of paper, was 
 iigned by the late lord Grey, Odober the 
 i6th, 1685, before the earl of 
 
 SUNDERLAND. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
DA448.9.G84 
 
 The secret history of the Rye-House 
 
 Princeton Theological Seminary-Speer Library 
 
 1 1012 00002 9167 
 
 >^i^-