The History of England Volume VI

LXVII

HistEng6_301-350.indd 32 6/17/11 11:21 AM 1678. LXVII The Popish plot- Oates's narrativeAnd character- Coleman's letters- Godfrey's murder - General consternation - The parliament Zeal of the parliament- Bedloe's narrativeAccusation of Danby- His impeachmentDissolution of the long parliament Its character- Trial of Coleman- Of IrelandNew elections- Duke of Monmouth- . Duke of York retires to Brussels - New parliament Danby 's impeachment- Popish plotNew council - Limitations on a popish successor Bill of exclusion- Habeas corpus bill- Prorogation and dissolution of the parliament - Trial and execution of the five jesuits- And of Langhorne - Wakeman acquitted State of affairs in Scotland Battle of Bothwel bridge ~~~ T HE ENGLISH NATION, ever since the fatal league with France, had entertained violent jealousies against the court; and the subsequent measures, adopted by the king, had tended more to encrease than cure the general prejudices. Some mysterious de332 HistEng6_301-350.indd 33 6/17/11 11:21 AM 333 CHAPTER LXVII sign was still suspected in every enterprize and profession: Arbitrary power and popery were apprehended as the scope of all projects: Each breath or rumour made the people start with anxiety : Their enemies, they thought, were in their very bosom, and had gotten possession of their sovereign's confidence. While in this timorous,jealous disposition, the cry ofa plot all on a sudden struck their ears: They were wakened from their slumber; a11d like men affrightened and in the dark, took every figure for a spectre. The terror ofeach man became the source of terror to another. And an universal panic being diffused, reason and argument and common sense and common humanity lost all influence over them. From this disposition of men's minds we are to account for the progress of the POPISH PLOT, and the credit given to it; an event, which would otherwise appear prodigious and altogether inexplicable. On the 12th of August, one Kirby, a chemist, accosted the king, as he was walking in the park: "Sir," said he, "keep within the company: Your enemies have a design upon your life; and you may be shot in this very walk." Being asked the reason of these strange speeches, he said, that two men, called Grove and Pickering , had engaged to shoot the king, and Sir George Wakeman, the queen's physician, to poison him. This intelligence, he added, had been communicated to him by doctor Tongue; whom, if permitted , he would introduce to his majesty. Tongue was a divine of the church of England; a man active, restless, full of projects, void of understanding. He brought papers to the king, which contained information of a plot, and were digested into forty-three articles. T he king, not having leisure to peruse them, sent them to the treasurer, Danby, and ordered the two informers to lay the business before that minister. Tongue confessed to Danby, that he himself had not drawn the papers, that they had been secretly thrust under his door, and that, though he suspected, he did not certainly know, who was the author. After a few days, he returned, and told the treasurer, that his suspicions, he found , werejust; and that the author of the intelligence, whom he had met twice or thrice in the street, had acknowledged the whole matter, and had given him a more particular account of the conspiracy, but desired, that his name might be concealed, being apprehensive lest the papists should murder him. T he information was renewed with regard to Grove's and PickThe Popish plot. HistEng6_301-350.indd 34 6/17/11 11:21 AM 334 HISTORY OF ENGLAND ering's intentions of shooting the king; and Tongue even pretended , that, at a particular time, they were to set out for Windsor with that intention. Orders were given for arresting them, as soon as they should appear in that place: But though this alarm was more than once renewed, some frivolous reasons were still found by Tongue for their having delayed the journey. And the king concluded, both from these evasions, and from the mysterious, artificial manner of communicating the intelligence, that the whole was an imposture. Tongue came next to the treasurer, and told him, that a pacquet of letters, written byjesuits concerned in the plot, was that night to be put into the post-house for Windsor, directed to Bennifield , a jesuit, confessor to the duke. When this intelligence was conveyed to the king...