MOst SERENE PRINCES, at this Day in Confederacy a­gainst France. Here is a Facinorous Attempt, which ought to make all the Crowned Heads of Europe tremble. 'Tis a Conspiracy laid to Assassinate the Sacred Person of the KING of Great BRITAIN. [Page 4] This Affair excites your selves to be careful in Good Earnest, of your own Preservation, no less than it concerns that Renowned Prince himself, to be watchful of his own Safety.

The means which the most Christian King, and K. James made use of, were almost Infallible; in so much, that only God alone was able to divert and dis­appoint 'em. Witness the Most Chri­stian Kings own Words: 'Tis im­possible, said he, but this Design must prove successful, unless God and the Winds prevent it. In the mean time, there is nothing more dear to Us in this World then Life; and the Lives of Princes are so pretious, that often up­on their Sacred Lives, depend the Greatest Revolutions, the Ruine of their Subjects, and the Desolation of their Dominions.

When an unforeseen Misfortune, a violent Disease, or sudden Death, may have snatch'd from the World those Princes, who were the Glory of their Age, and the Love of the People, there nothing remains behind for Us, but Tears and Lamentations. This is all the Duty we can pay 'em; tho' could we by our Blood redeem 'em from the [Page 5] Grave, there is no good Subject who would not bleed to the last Drop. We have had a Glorious Example of this, in the late loss which we sustain'd of the Queen of Great Britain. That Princess was snatch'd from Us in the Flower of her Age: However, we have this to comfort our selves, that we are all mortal. The Misfortune was inevitable; and it was a natural Disease that ravish'd her from us.

But what a dreadful thing it is, when Swords and Poyson are made use of, to hurry out of the world Great Princes, signally eminent for their Piety, be­lov'd of their Subjects, dear to all o­ther Christian Princes, and the chief Hero's of the Age? What a dread­ful thing, I say, it is, when the Authors of such a detestable Design, are Crowned Heads? They who in After-Ages shall come to read the Lives of these two Wretched Princes, will they not blush d'ye think? Trea­cherous Exemplars, that sacrifice the Glory of their Reigns, the Title of Most Christian, and all that is account­ed most Sacred, Most August in Reli­gion, and in Humane Society, to the deceitful Fantom of their Ambition.

But, most Serene Princes, at this day Confederated together for your com­mon Safety, What Precautions ought you not to take, to secure your selves against the Contrivances of such Con­spirators as these. For I must repeat it once more, Your Lives are no less in Danger, then the Life of Your Con­federate King WILLIAM. 'Tis your Alliance with this Great Prince, of which your Enemies are jealous, that gave Birth to this detestable Conspira­cy that has been so lately discover'd. 'Tis an Attempt that concerns yee eve­ry one in particular; for had the Con­spirators accomplish'd their Design, what Mischiefs, what Calamities, had You not had just reason to have been apprehensive of in reference to your selves?

All Europe is sufficiently acquainted with the Ways and Methods which the Tyrannic Politicks of France make use of, and which they have made use of for these Eight Years of declar'd War together, to accomplish their Ends; that is to say, the Enslaving of all the Soveraign Princes of Europe. There has not been a Year since the Death of Mazarine, that has not produc'd a [Page 7] Monster: So that the Reign of the Most Christian King has been a con­tinued Series of Enormous Attempts and Conspiracies.

If this Monarch have made such a Noise in the World; if he is become the Terrour of his Enemies, 'tis be­cause, that besides his great Power which distinguishes him from other Christian Princes, he has always had recourse to Treachery, as his last Refuge in all the most desperate Stresses of his Af­fairs; so that if we have seen him gain surprizing Conquests in the midst of Winter, take strong Towns in the face of Armies looking on, win Battels, at­tack the Confederates in Posts almost impenetrable, and deceive the Vigi­lancy of our Generals, they have only been the Effects of Treachery, and the fatal Consequences of our Remissness.

If War be to be carry'd on by Trea­chery and Infidelity, there's no rely­ing upon any thing. Where is the Glory of Arms, that Glory almost as ancient as the World, which after Death, restor'd to a new Life those Hero's and great Captains, who are propos'd to us for the Models of all our Enterprizes, such as Caesars, Alexan­ders, [Page 8] Pompeys, Charles the Great's, Charles the Fifth's, and other Renown­ed Personages transmitted to us by Antiquity?

Nor will I deny, but that this Age affords some Patterns like those Hero's of former times, but I cannot say those Vertues are to be found in one Great King, a Most Christian King, an Eldest Son of the Church. This is an At­tempt which ought to make all French Men blush. But you will say, that Sub­jects are not to be responsible for the Miscarriages of their Prince. 'Tis a per­sonal Stain, I grant it; I am asham'd to say it: The Noble Blood of the Bourbons, that has glitter'd in so many preceding Reigns, is now sully'd with so many foul Attempts, that the very thought of it strikes a Horror into all People of Worth.

I cannot here forbear to set down the lovely Idea, which Pagan Authors had of True Royalty, which ought to co­ver the Most Christian King with Shame and Confusion. He is truly a King who is truly just. He is truly just, who go­verns himself according to the Laws. There is no Justice that can subsist without Law. Let him that ascends the [Page 9] Throne be pure, and environ'd with the bright shining Rays of Justice, says Ecphantas the Philosopher. True Ju­stice ordains, that the Crimes of High Treason, and all Attempts of wicked Men, should be punish'd with utmost Rigour; and it may be said, That this is one of the Noblest Characters of Royalty. And yet at this day we be­hold Two Princes authorizing a Crew of Assassines and Murderers, to embrue their Impious Hands; if it had been possible, in the Blood of a Great Mo­narch.

After a Blow of this Importance, we may freely say, That the most Se­rene Confederates, may justly make the most Christian King the same An­swer which Alexander gave Darius, when despairing to overcome the Ma­cedonian by Arms, he would fain have had him Assassinated.

Alexander gave him to understand, That he would no longer make War a­gainst him, as against a Prince, but as a Parricide.

Will any body say, that if the most Christian King continues these Projects, it will of necessity behove the Confe­derates to make use of the same means? [Page 10] Would they have Villany punish'd by Villany? Or that if great Sums of Money must be given to rid them­selves of their Enemies, and put an end to the War all at once, by destroying the Head of the Party by Assassination; will any body deny but that France will sooner want Money then the Con­sederates, or at least that the Princes of the League are not rich enough to constrain the most Christian King to stand upon his Guard in that parti­cular? He can lay claim to no Immor­tality, nor to being Invulnerable, no more then his Predecessors Henry III. or Henry IV.

'Tis true, these detestable Ways of Destroying an Enemy, by a violent and hasten'd Death, by Poyson or Dagger, are open to the Confederates as well as for the most Christian King. But God forbid that ever any one of the most Se­rene Confederates should ever have so black a Thought. They have stu­dy'd another sort of Morality in the School of Vertue: Their Piety and the Niceness of their Consciences ab­hor and detest those Principles, which deduc'd their Original from Hell, and and which were never preach'd in [Page 11] France but by the JESUITES, nor so much as taught ambitious Princes by Matchiavel himself.

We are thoroughly convinc'd, that France sufficiently ingenious to con­ceal the unlucky untucky Blows which she re­ceives from Fortune, will endeavour to escape the Ignominy which this detesta­ble Enterprize will six upon her, by a study'd Apology compos'd by some one of her most able and dextrous Ministers. Methinks I hear already the Count d' Avaux in one of the Nor­thern Courts, and M. Amelot among the Switzers, loudly protesting, that the most Christian King their Master, had no hand in this Attempt, but that it was form'd by the JACOBITES in England, without ever being commu­nicated to his knowledge.

But this has been the Language of that Prince in all the preceding Con­spiracies; witness that of Granval. The Court of France laid all the load upon her Ministers, and threw all the Blame upon the deceas'd Marquis of Louvois, and his Son M. d' Barbesi­eux. All this while, the world knows under what a sort of awe the Ministers of France live; had they made the [Page 12] least step without the Kings knowledge, there would have needed no more to have render'd their Fidelity suspected, and to have disgrac'd'em for ever. The Ministers of the Court of France. are too wary of preserving their Posts, to commit such Mistakes; there being no­thing transacted within that Kingdom, with which the King is not acquaint­ed.

In short, if the King of France, as he gives out in Foreign Courts, had no hand in the late discover'd Conspiracy, Whence came that numerous FLEET, which of a sudden was Rendezvous'd together in the Ports of Dunkirk, Cal­lis, Bologne, and Havre de Grace? Did that Potent Preparation fall from the Clouds? So many Troops drawn down together to the Sea-side, were they sent to Guard the Coasts of France, at a time when the Enemies FLEET was only fitting out, half Mann'd, and not in a probability of putting to Sea till the end of April? What did M. Bouf­flers, and so many French Generals do at Dunkirk? For what reason did K. James leave St. Germains? For what reason take his leave so solemnly of all the Court, and flye to take shipping at [Page 13] Callis? To what end the Prayers of Fourty Hours, and the publication of a Jubilee? Will the most Christian King say, that all this was done with­out his being made acquainted with it?

K. James having left St. Germains the 28th of February, came to St. De­nis's, where he perform'd his Devo­tions, and after he had begg'd of God in his fervent Prayers, to bless his Expedition, he sent for a Publick No­tary, whom he order'd to draw up an Act for the Sum of 500 Thousand Livres, which he had borrow'd of cer­tain Merchants, for which he gave 'em in Pawn, the Queen his Wives Jewels.

Besides this Sum, the most Christi­an King Orders Six Millions to be paid him forthwith, and made him a Pre­sent over and above of a little Chest, containing a Hundred Thousand Loui­dores in Specie, to defray his Houshold Expences. France did not shew him all these Kindnesses for nothing: She exacted at the same time real Engage­ments from the Caress'd Prince, that is to say, a Contract or Deed acknow­ledg'd before a Publick Notary. by which K. James obliges himself to pay [Page 14] back to the most Christian King, after his Restauration, not only the Sum lent him for his Passage, but all that France had disburs'd for his Support, during his abode in that Kingdom.

The most Christian King, I say, lends all his Forces to this miserable Prince, spares him his best Generals to com­mand his Troops, and suffers him to want nothing for the Execution of a Design, that was to reseat him upon hi Throne. And all this acted in the full view of all Europe; But the En­terprize miscarrying, the most Chri­stian King Orders his Ministers to tell us, That he had no hand in it.

'Tis not the first time that the Frehch Monarch has talk'd at this rate. But the Confederates are no long­er to be deluded with Words; not will all the Water in the Seine, be able to wash away a Crime so black as this, which has been committed in the sight of God and all Christendom, by the Assassination intended to have been per­petrated upon the Sacred Person of King WILLIAM, complotted at Ver­feilles the 1st. of October, in the Year 1695.

Let us conclude then, that the most Christian King being the Principal Au­thor of this detestable Attempt, all the shame of it rebounds back upon his own Person. K. James is a feeble and im­puissant Prince of himself. 'Tis true, that he was bred in Slaughter and But­chery; his whole Life has been a con­tinual Train of Tragical Deaths, Atten­tates and Conspiracies: Witness the innocent Blood which he has shed du­ring his abode in England. But this Unfortunate Prince, notwithstanding the depravement of his natural Dispo­sition, and his unbridl'd false Zeal for Religion, could have done nothing of himself, had not the most Christian King supported him. You'll say per­haps, that France is a weary of paying him his Pensions, and that She would be glad to be rid of him. Let it be which way it will, the most Christian King is He that is look't upon as the principal Author of this intended Perpetration; an Act which in After-Ages, all good Christian Princes will look upon with Horror, and which now renders him unworthy of the Gorious Title of most Christian King.

'Tis a long time that the Council of France had been hatching this Mon­ster, which she was about to have brought forth, as may easily appear, if we reflect upon the Conduct of her Ministers in Foreign Courts. For when the Popes Nuncio'd redoubl'd their Importunities to persuade the Catholick Princes to accept of the Proposals that were made 'em; The Ministers of France openly told 'em, There was no such need for 'em to be so hasty; for that the most Christian King their Master, had a Design in hand which would change the Face of Affairs, and force the Confederates to accept of the Offers that had been so frequently made 'em, and which they had rejected with so much scorn.

This Vaunting was a Riddle not to be expounded by his Holiness Nouncio's, till Time, that notable Oedipus, un­solded the Enigma, to the eternal Shame of the Heads of the Enterprize, and of those that were to have been their Instruments. We may also add by the way, to the shame of the French Ministers, who thus discours'd the Popes Nuncio's, who are no better then their Master, while they are the [Page 17] Eccho's of an Action that will load 'em with eternal Infamy. They boast to be the Ministers of their Princes Fury, at the Expence of their Honour and their Consciences, which they ought to prize above all things in the World. They ought to call to mind the insinite Injury they do their Nation, and the foul Stains of Infamy with which they sully it, and which will not be wash'd off in several Reigns after This.

If we consider farther, what passed at the Taking of Namure, at what time the Person of Marshal Boufflers was seiz'd; all the World knows, the Marshal made loud Complaints, and haughtily exclaim'd against the Injury done him, adding, That his Master would Revenge the Injustice that had been offer'd him upon the Person of the PRINCE, who had so caus'd him to be stopt. M. Boufflers had been made Privy to the Conspiracy, and there­fore 'twas no wonder those Words of Passion dropt from him. Wherefore the most Christian King judg'd him so necessary for this great Expedition, that he vouchsaf'd to honour him forthwith with a Brevet for a Duke and Peer of France; and consented to all things [Page 18] that the Confederates demanded, to obtain his speedy Liberty.

Till now, we flatter'd our selves, that France would no longer have re­course to all those Treacheries, of which She made so good a use, while M. Luxem­burg commanded her Arms. But M. Boufflers seems to be sprung up from the Ashes of that Famous Captain, tho' according to all Appearances, the Dis­ciple will not prove much better then his Master.

However. M. Boufflers, with his good leave, does a great Injury to his Re­putation, and 'tis a bad Disappoint­ment, to have had a share in the in­tended Assassination, of a Prince that heap'd so many Favours and Civilities upon him during his Detention. There is no need of going to seek him out in England. King WILLIAM does not hide himself, as all the World knows. He is none of those timerous Princes that shun Danger. He appears every Campagne in Flanders, at the Head of his Armies. And if the most Chri­stian King, or his Generals, desire an end of the War, and to obtain that Peace which they so much thirst after, He is always ready to answer their [Page 19] Expectations, with his Sword in his Hand. They might also, out of a Principle of Honour, make him that fair Challenge, which the Prince E­lector, formerly sent to M. Turenne; that is to say, by the Proposal of a single Combat, in order to determine the Differences that have inflam'd this War by the point of the Sword, pro­vided the King of France himself would be one of the Champions in Person.

But that is not the thing which the King of France seeks after: He has been accustom'd to vanquish without Danger; and indeed, 'tis the way to live long. In a word, Were King WILLIAM less Brave, and less Mag­nanimous then he is, the most Chri­stian King, and K. James, would ne­ver make those attempts upon his Person which they do.

The most Christian King, since the Pyrenean Peace, has been accustom'd to make his Progresses with a kind of Ra­pidness; because he was assur'd of the Crown of England, through the Care which he took to cultivate the Inclina­tions of the last Kings, as all Europe well knows. 'Twas under the shelter [Page 20] of those Careless and voluptuou [...] Reigns, that he rear'd this Monster o [...] Grandeur, which makes him so formi­dable to his Neighbours, so fear'd by his Subjects, and so daring in all his En­terprizes to mix Heaven and Earth to­gether.

But those Reigns are past; the Cards are all mix'd; and the last Revolution which advanc'd King William to the Throne, was the most terrible Blow that ever was given to France; because that Prince has been all along his irrecon­cileable Enemy, the only Prince in Eu­rope who has cross'd his ambitious De­signs, who has always disputed the Ground with him, and who, like ano­ther Joshua, has stopp'd the Sun in his rapid Course.

So that the most Christian King find­ing that the Puissance of King William as Head of the League, would prove an invincible Obstacle to his Enter­terprizes, thought it convenient ac­cording to the Principles of his Ty­rannick Politicks, to rid himself of this Prince by one means or other For proof of which, it has been ob­serv'd, that in all the Battels that have hitherto been fought, the French [Page 21] Generals have been very careful to [...]ick out a good Number of the Guards [...]f the King's Houshold, to make way [...]hrough the Throng, in Order to Kill King William.

M. de Luxemburgh did all that lay [...]n his power, to satisfie the King his Master in this Particular; and M. de Boufflers, no less zealous then his Pre­decessor, makes no scruple to put him­self at the Head of a Crew of Con­spirators, to second the Assassination of this Noble Prince. At the Battel of the Boyn, the Guards who kill'd M. de Scomberg, had Orders to find out the King; but God preserv'd him, and brought him safe out of the Snares which France and K. James had laid for him. After so many Proofs of the King of France's extraordinary care to destroy this Prince, there is no question to be made, but that he was the Primum Mobile of this last Conspi­racy.

There needs no more then this bold Stroke, to embellish the History of this Monarch, which the best Pens of France have been labouring for so many Years to set out. This will be a most gay and flourishing Flower in his [Page 22] Crown; a Monument, then which he cannot consecrate a more august to Posterity. It may be said, that by this Inglorious Action, the Mighty Monarch leaves a Glorious Example for the Dauphin to imitate, if his Re­nowned Father do not out-live him a or at least for his Children to take a Pattern by, who are young enough to study Virtue under so Great a Master. After such an Attempt as this, the Most Christian King has reason to rest himself from his Illustrious [...]a­bours, and dye well satisfied. He has Reign'd a Great Monarch, a Great Politician, always happy and prospe­rous; if he now miss'd his Blow, he must look upon it, that only Heaven put by the Fatal Stroak, which he so fairly offer'd.

But as for You, Monsieur Dauphin, 'tis hop'd that your Inclinations will not lead you to follow this Great Ex­emplar: We are sensible that you, like the deceased Prince of Conde, abhor such Treacherous Actions as these, un­worthy of a great Hero, more espe­cially a Christian Prince, one day de­sign'd to wear one of the most August Crowns in Christendom.

All Europe looks upon You, as one that will restore that Peace and Tran­quility which your Father's unjust Claims have banish'd from among the Christian Princes. If it be the Pleasure of Heaven that ever you come to the Crown, we most justly flatter our selves, that France was never so happy as it will be then. Your Subjects will be deliver'd from the Burthens of a thousand Imposts; Trade will be restor'd; Arts and Sciences will flourish; the Nobility of the King­dom will reassume their Ancient Splen­dor; the Parliaments, and Sovereign Courts will again enjoy that Authority of which they have been despoil'd; the Neighbouring Princes will have a plenary Confidence in your Royal Word; your Treaties will be invio­lable; and you will be lookt upon in all the Courts of Europe, as a Prince that treads in the Steps of your Illu­strious Ancestors, and not pursue the Vices of two Monarchs, that strike a Horror of their Actions into the Hearts of all the Christian Princes.

Call to mind, Sir, the Precepts of the Wise Plato, That the Laws have a Power over Kings, as well as Subjects. So long as you take such Principles for [Page 24] the Rule of your Actions, you will be the Love of your Subjects, the Glory of your Age, and the Greatest King in the World.

All Europe, Sir, conjures you to inculcate these Noble Lessons into the young Princes your Sons, who are one day to succeed you; 'tis time to do it, but more especially to infuse into their tender years an Aversion and Abhorrency of the Detestable Principles of their Grandfather, con­demned by all good men: Instil into them this noble Thought of Aristotle, He whom the People will not admit for King, is a Tyrant: so long as they have the Love of the People, they will be worthy to wear a Crown. This is that which is the greatest Glory of that Prince, whom the Most Christian King your Father, and his Allie King James would have Assassinated: he is passionately belov'd of his Subjects, and consequently worthy to be their King. This Love it is, which assures him of their Fidelity, which establishes his Throne, and renders it immoveable; and which is the Reason that his Sub­jects will spend the last drop of their Blood for the Preservation of his Sacred Person.

The want of this Love, so necessary for Princes that will Govern according to Law, was the cause of King James's Misfortunes, and that which renders him the most miserable of Monarchs. But would to Heaven that this were the only Stain that renders him odious; all the Christian Princes of Europe would then have no reason to upbraid him with the most detestable of all Crimes, the meditated Assassination of King William. But let us return to the most Christian King.

If we consider what happen'd upon the Birth of that Prince, we shall meet with nothing but what is surprizing. All France before that, was in great Af­fliction, and all in Tears besought of God an Heir to the Crown. After two and twenty Years of Barrenness, the Queen-Mother conceiv'd; and she brough forth a Successor to Lewis XIII. But what Successor? A Prince that came into the World with Two Teeth. A strange Prodigy! and the most sur­prizing that has happen'd in our days. When the Soothsayers of Italy were consulted by Expresses, which the de­ceased M. de Colbert sent thither, they answer'd, That the Prince newly born, [Page 26] with Two Teeth, should with One of his Teeth tear his Subjects, with the Other, the Princes of Europe his Neigh­bours.

In a word, never was Horoscope bet­ter fulfill'd. The Commencements of his Reign are full of Prodigies, and hitherto the End has been no less sur­prizing. Hardly was he arriv'd at the Age of Majority, but he began with re­forming the greatest part of his Mini­sters: He despoils the Parliaments and Soveraign Courts of all they had which was most August, the Supream Autho­rity. He humbled the Nobility of his Kingdom; impoverish'd his Subjects by an infinite number of new Taxes: He raises great Armies to keep 'em un­der Submission and Respect: He forti­fies the greatest part of the Strong Holds in his Kingdom, to enslave the whole, and serve as Ramparts to his Ambition. He lets loose his Fury a­gainst the See of Rome; and he alone commits more Attentats against the Soveraign Pontiffs, then all his Prede­cessors together had ever done.

After these happy Beginnings, he studies Machiavel, and got him so well by Heart, that his whole Reign was [Page 27] but a Tissue of that Author's Precepts. He observes 'em to the most minute Maxims; and by the help of Mazarin, he became so Great a Master in the Art of Reigning, that the Bounds of France could no longer contain him. There is not any Prince in Europe that has not been a Victim to his Ambition. If he makes Alliances, 'tis only to aggran­dize himself by Violation of his Oaths: If he declares War, 'tis unjust, because his only Aim is the Invasion of his Neighbour's Dominions: If he con­cludes a Peace, 'tis only to break it to morrow, and that he may have new Pretences to recommence the War.

In a word, there is no Sovereign Prince, no Elector in the Empire, no Republick in Europe, that is not sensible of the Effects of his cruel Domination. The present War has thrown its dis­mal Firebrands into all the Corners of the World. All Christendom enjoy'd a profound Peace, at what time the most Christian King sent Armies of In­cendiaries, with lighted Flambeaux in their hands, to Fire the most Noble Cities of Germany.

This dismal Conflagration, after it had reduced the Palatinate into Ashes, [Page 28] was extended by the hands of M. de Boufflers all along the Rhine, the Mo­selle, and thence through all Flanders and Brabant; and so over-running, like a Mad-man and a Fury, all the open Country he burnt all before him, sparing neither Churches nor Monasteries.

All these Cruelties were acted in view of all the Princes of Europe; but there was none but King William, who ap­plied himself in earnest to stop the Ca­reer of France. The People of Eng­land call'd this Great Prince to their Succour, because the most Christian King Reign'd no less in the Three Kingdoms of Great Britain, then in France, by virtue of the Cruelties which King James, his Confederate, ex­ercis'd therein. King William passes the Sea, supported by the hands of Provi­dence; he is received with all the Ho­nours immaginable by the Nobility of the Kingdom, and by the People. The Crown is presented to him, and he is desired to accept it; which he does, after Long Importunities, because the present Condition of the Affairs of Eu­rope, and the Safety of the Common­weal engag'd him to it.

By that means he gave a deadly Blow to France, so much the rather, because she little dreamt of such a Revolution. Thereupon after that, the most Christian King minds nothing but Revenge. The Hatred which he had all along for that Prince, could no longer be kept within bounds; it must break forth, and fling about its fiery Indignation. And from that day forward his secret Council met, with Orders to seek out some way to de­stroy this Prince, as the only Person able to put a stop to his Great De­signs. So that since his coming to the Crown, we may reckon up near 8 Conspiracies; only this last exceeded all the rest. The Conspirators in this, never go about to conceal themselves: They walk barefac'd at Noon-day, and rely upon the Death of King William, as upon a thing that cannot fail 'em. After this, I leave the World to judge, how far the Fury and Resentment of a Prince will go, who has sworn the Death of his E­nemy.

I cannot here forbear to recite the words of Salust, when he speaks of the Care that Princes ought to take of [Page 30] the Honour of their Dominions, of which they ought to be as jealous as of their own Crowns. The Duty of Kings, says he, consists in preserving the Liberty and Honour of a Kingdom. But the most Christian King ne're troubles himself for the Honour of France: He Sacrifices it with a good will, provided his Designs do but suc­ceed. Where is that Liberty, I would fain know, which his Subjects enjoy'd in the Reigns of his Predecessors? Are they not all at present Slaves within the Kingdom? Where is the Honour of the Kingdom? Is it acquir'd by Oppression, Cruelty and Tyranny? And when it is acquir'd, is it preserv'd by the Assassination of Great Princes, for whom they have a mortal Hatred?

If this be true, I must acknowledge the Antients to have been very great Cheats, for having made us such a Description of the Honour of a King­dom, so far different from that which Lewis the Grand gives us the present Pattern of. This Prince pretends to be the greatest Model of Perfection this day in the World. But with sub­mission to him, the Course he takes, is not the way to attain to the Glory [Page 31] of those Great Hero's, of which Pagan Antiquity has left us such Noble Ex­emplars.

After these Preliminaries, let us come to the Particulars of matter of Fact, and consider all the Circumstances that accompany'd this Conspiracy, so lately discover'd: After that, we shall ex­amine the Doctrine of the JESUITES, which teaches the Art of Assassinating Kings, and which they have taught the Authors of the present Conspiracy.

God by his Providence, and the con­tinual care which he takes for the pre­servation of his Majesty King WIL­LIAM, has so order'd it, that several of the Conspirators, have discover'd, of themselves, the following Conspiracy the particulars whereof are These.

About the end of the month of Au­gust, in the Year 1695. the most Chri­stian King, being at Versailles in a pri­vate Conference with K. James, con­cerning the Events of the preceding Campagne, the most Christian King out of a peculiar confidence in him, told him, ‘That he saw no other way in the world to attain a speedy Peace, [Page 32] then by labouring his Restoration to the Throne. That all the Care which he had hitherto taken to wage War with his Enemies, together with the immense Expences he had been at to support it, had as yet produc'd no­thing effectual: Nevertheless, that God had so sufficiently prosper'd his Arms, by the Advantages he had won, till the Death of Marshal Lux­emburgh, that he had no reason to complain. But that which still trou­bled him, and imprinted in his Mind but ill Presages of the Future, was the present Union between the Parlia­ment and the Prince of Orange, which was so far from abating, that it grew stronger and stronger: That the Re­putation of that Prince, and the Forces which the Parliament had granted him, would be fatal to the Peace, and the Common Interests, unless some sudden Course were taken.’

K. James made Answer to the most Christian King, ‘That all that he had said was true; that he saw but too well, and with a deep Sorrow, the Prosperity and growing Grandeur of his Enemy; That 'twas only his fault, for that he himself was ready at that [Page 33] very instant, to attempt his Return into England, if his Majesty thought it convenient: Nevertheless, that he was asham'd to have so often abus'd his Kindnesses, and that he was afraid his Evil Stars that follow'd him where e're he went, would frustrate the justest Enterprize that he should un­dertake; That both He and the Queen his Wife, besought Almighty God in their most servent Prayers, to bless the Arms of his Majesty, their Protector and Restorer, in whom; next to God, they plac'd all their Hopes and Confidence.’

To this the most Christian King re­ply'd, ‘That it had not been his Fault hitherto, that their Prayers had not been heard: but that it was not yet too late, and that it behov'd him to lay hold of the savourable opportuni­ty that God had put into his hands, to give their Enemy such a Blow, as would prove fatal to him. Never­theless, that it became him to trust in God, and to arm himself with Reso­lution for the execution of the Enter­prize.’

K. James made Answer, ‘That he understood what his Majesty meant; [Page 34] so that if no more were requir'd but the forming a new Plot, he had Men anow at command, provided his Majesty would lay out Money sufficient for the carrying on so great an Enterprize.’

The most Christian King reply'd, ‘That all the Forces in the Kingdom were at his Service, and that he should desire no other Reward, then the ho­nour of having contributed to his Re­storation.’

After this first Overture, the two Kings agreed upon a day to make choice of the Conspirators; which day being the 5th. of September 1695. was no sooner come, but the Accomplices were call'd one after another to a private Audience given 'em by K. James at St. Germains; which at first was only to sound 'em, and assure himself of their Fidelity.

At length K. James having made choice of about seven and forty Per­sons, presented 'em to the most Chri­stian King, who assur'd 'em of his Royal Protection, and of the Advance­ment of their Fortunes, if the Busi­ness succeeded: After which they were dismissed till further Order.

At first, there were none but the two Kings, and Father La Chaise, who were Privy to the Secret. For the most Chri­stian King thought it convenient, that when the Business was drawn into Form, that the Intrigue and Manage­ment of it, should be left to Father La Chaise: To which K. James consent­ed. So that the Conspirators had Or­ders to repair to him, two and two at a time, for fear of making too much Noise, to confer with that Seraphic Priest about the Time, Place and Man­ner, of putting the Design in Execu­tion.

There were some of the Conspira­tors who offer'd their Majesties to go into Flanders, and do the Business at the time that King WILLIAM quitted the Army: But the most Christan King did not think that the best way, ‘because added he, he had not been well satisfyed with Grandvall's Conduct, whose Enter­prize had miscarry'd for want of Management, notwithstanding that the deceased Marquiss of Louvois, had taken care to manage it with all the Circumspection imaginable.’ K. James was of the same Opinion, and that the [Page 36] Business might be done with less danger and more ease in England, because the Prince of Orange had very slender Guards there about his Person, especi­ally when he went a Hunting; whereas in Flanders he was always surrounded with his Army.

After several Conferences, it was re­solved, That some of the Conspirators should cross the Sea before-hand, in or­der to confer with several other JA­COBITES, from whom K. James had had particular Letters, assuring him of their inviolable Devotion and Readi­ness to sacrifice their Blood for his Re­storation.

All these measures being taken at the Court of France, as may be collected from the Mouths of the Conspirators themselves in their Examinations, they fell to work. To which purpose, the greatest part of the Conspirators that were in France, dropt one after ano­ther into England, in several Privateers, who set 'em ashore upon the Coasts of England, and repair'd to London. Where they lay Skulking Incognito, to strength­en their Party against the time of Exe­cution, which was to be accomplished about the end of February in this man­ner:

The 25th. of February 169 [...]. which was a Saturday, the Conspirators to the number of Sixty, had resolv'd to post themselves in such a Place, through which the King was to pass, in going to Richmond to divertize himself accord­ing to Custom; and to attacque him either in his Coach, or as he was a Hunting: and after they had put the Guards to the Sword, Ten or Twelve were to have made themselves Masters of the Kings Coach, and to have dis­patcht him either with a Dagger or a Blunderbuss, as they saw occasion.

But failing that Day, the Conspira­tors put off the Execution of their de­testable Design till Saturday following. That Day the King's Coach stood rea­dy, the Guards sate mounted, and the Provision Wagons were gone before: Which being discern'd by two of the Conspirators Spies, who made no doubt but that his Majesty would fol­low his Guards, they hasten'd with all speed to the Rendezvous to give the Traytors information. But his Majesty thought fit to stay that Day at Kensington; and to the end he might have some better Light into the Con­spiracy, he sent away some Trusty Per­sons [Page 38] to view the Countenances and Behaviour of such as they should see Loytering upon the Roads, and to ob­serve where they had posted themselves. By this second Disappointment, no­thing could be done that day neither: So that the Assassines resolved upon the Sunday following, to attacque the King in his Passage between the two Gates of Hide-Park and St. James's, as he went to White-Hall to Chappel.

Their Design was first to have kill'd the Coach-Horses, and by that means to have stopt the Passage of the Guards that follow'd his Majesty. But the King stirr'd not out that day.

The Night before, or the same day the Treason was to have been put in Execution, seventeen of the Conspi­rators were seiz'd, and the next day several others were taken, among whom were two Dominicans, three Troopers of the E. of Oxford's Regi­ment, a Trumpeter; one Charnock, who had been Vice-President of Mag­dalen Colledge in Oxford, in King James's time, and for which he turn'd Roman Catholick, and several others. All which, and many more afterwards ap­prehended, were to have embrued [Page 39] their Murtherous Hands in his Maje­sties Blood.

The Duke of Berwick (Head of the Party) had like to have been taken. One of his Domestic Servants was seiz'd, who had Orders if the Design succeeded, to have kindl'd Fires upon the Sea-side near Dover, which was to have been a Signal to K. James and M. Boufflers, who lay expecting the E­vent of this great Enterprize. To which purpose, the Havens of Dun­kirk, Callis and Bolougne, were full of Transport Ships, which were to have wafted over a great number of Soldi­ers into Engl [...] to second the JACO­BITES that were to have taken Arms.

Mr. Schmettau Adjutant, being sent away into England, by the Duke of Wirtenberg, put himself into a Fisher­boat, which being attacqued by a Pri­vateer, M. Schmettau hid himself under the Netts, so that the Privateer finding nothing that was Booty, quitted him: After which, he went to London, and inform'd the King of the Motions of the French on Dunkirk-side; and his Report was confirm'd by M. Montez, Lieutenant Coll. of the Regiment of Belcastle.

That which is remarkable is this, That the Conspirators were engag'd for a certain Sum of Money to have accomplish'd their Design within the space of six Weeks, and that before the end of February, for fear of break­ing the Measures which the most Chri­stian King had taken for the succeed­ing Campagne; whence it came to pass, that the Enterprize failing upon Satur­day, it was put off till the Sunday fol­lowing: And if Providence had not so order'd it, that a good part of the Conspirators had not been apprehend­ed, it was to be fear'd they would have sought all the ways in i [...]inable to have accomplish'd their de [...]able Treason.

We can never too highly applaud the Care which the Earl of Porland, and the rest of the Lords about the King's Person, took to prevent so ter­rible a Blow, that would have prov'd no less fatal to all Christendom, then to all his Majesties good Subjects.

Upon the 24th. of February 1696. the King made a Speech to both Houses of Parliament, wherein he gave 'em an Account of the Assassination in­tended upon his Royal Person, and of the Enemies Preparations for a sud­den Invasion of the Kingdom.

Upon this the House of Commons immediately drew up an Association, wherein they protested, testify'd and declared sincerely and solemnly, that his Majesty King WILLIAM now Reign­ing, is the true and lawful King of the Realms of Great Britain and Ireland; and mutually promise & engage to suc­cour and Assist each other, to the utmost of their Power, to support and defend his Majesties Sacred Person and Go­vernment against K. James, and all his Adherents. And in case his Majesty should come to a violent and hasty Death (which God avert) they volun­tarily and unanimously oblige them­selves to unite; and associate, and to assist each other to revenge his Death upon his Enemies, &c.

This was followed by an Address of both Houses, wherein they congratu­late his happy Preservation, and grate­fully acknowledge the particular Care of Divine Providence, and at the same time declare their detestation and ab­horrency of so Infamous and Barba­rous a Design, and humbly beseech his Majesty to take a more particular Care of his Sacred Person.

Upon which, His Majesty issu'd out several Proclamations for apprehend­ing a great number of the Conspira­tors, of whom a great part were seiz'd and committed to several Prisons. All which Acts of State have been so suf­ficiently publish'd at large, that they need not be repeated here.

After so many Authentic Testimo­nies, which ought to cover with shame the Authors and Contrivers of so Black and Treacherous a Fact, all Europe stands amaz'd! The Ministers of the Christian Princes assembl'd in the Con­gress, sit astonish'd! All the World searches for the Causes, that excited the wicked Inclinations of these two Princes. But there will be no great difficulty in the discovery of 'em, when we consider that the most Christian King has always been a true Jesuite. For proof of which, we need but read the History of his Reign. The Poli­ticks, the Maxims, the dangerous O­pinions, and lastly whatever that Or­der teaches, not forgetting the Art of Assassinating Kings, have been ma­nifest quite throughout the whole Course of it. As for K. James, he left England, a true Jesuite: He has liv'd [Page 43] in France, during his Exile, one of the same Order; and within these two Months, he has thought sit to List himself also in the Order of the Do­minicans.

Had the most Christian King taken upon him to read the Determination of the Faculty of Theology in Paris, car­ry'd to the Parliament upon occasion of the re-settlement of the Jesuits in France, I am perswaded we should not have seen him so true a Jesuit as now we do. Wee shall repeat the sub­stance of it in the same Terms, as it is in the Original.

This was the Judgment which the Sorbonne made of the Jesuites Doctrine. But without looking back so far as the Year 1554. the most Christian King need no more then consider what pass'd in the Year 1610. when Henry IV. was stabb'd by Ravillac; certainly he would then abhor that Doctrine which he now upholds with all his Royal Power, in the face of all Christendom. It deserves to be recited, because it makes for our purpose.

The same Day that the detestable Ravillac was executed, in regard that in all the Answers which he gave the Arch­bishop of Aix, and the Predicant Coef­feteau, [Page 45] during his Imprisonment, for the Parricide he had committed, he made use of the Maxims of Mariana and other Jesuites, who have written, That 'twas lawful to kill Kings and Tyrants, the Court of Parliament, before they condemn'd those infamous Books to be burnt by the hands of the Common Hung-man, would have the Determi­nation of the Faculty of Theology, and enjoin'd the Dean of the Faculty to call a Convocation, in order to give 'em their Opinion, whether it were lawful for any one, upon any Account, or for any Cause whatever, to attempt the sacred Persons of Kings and Sove­reign Princes.

Upon which, the Faculty assembl'd in the Colledge of the Sorbonne, and made the following Censure.

Upon which follows the Censure of the Faculty.

The aforesaid Censure of the Faculty of Theology of Paris, was confirm'd by the Council of Constance, Anno 1415. in the Calends of July, in these words:

Upon this Censure the Parliament decreed, ‘That the Book of John Mari­ana, entitul'd, De Rege & Regis Institu­tione, Printed both at Mayence and other Places, containing several execrable Blasphemies against Henry III. of Bles­sed Memory, the Persons and States of Kings and Sovereign Princes, and other Propositions, contrary to the [Page 52] Decree of the Faculty of Paris, shall be burnt by the Hand of the Com­mon Hangman, &c.’

Accordingly Mariana's Book was burnt by the Common Executioner, be­fore the Great Church of Paris: And all Persons whatever were prohibited under the Penalties of High Treason, to Write or Print any Books or Trea­tises, contrary to the said Decree and Edict.

Thus you have three authentick De­cisions of the Sorbonne, the Council of Constance, and the Court of the Parlia­ment of Paris, condemning the dete­stable Doctrine which teaches the Art of Assassinating Kings. But are the Je­suits e'er a whit the more wise, or the less sanguinary for these Decrees? The Two Princes, who so loudly declare themselves at this day to be their Pro­tectors, do they not authorize all their Maxims? Have they not, to the great Scandal of all the rest of the Christian Princes, given a new Birth to those in­famous Monsters, whom the Prudence and Zeal of so many Doctors took care to stifle in their Infancy? The Loss which France sustain'd of Two Kings, [Page 53] Henry III. and Henry IV. whose Blood was shed by these Murderers, gave an occasion to the Sorbonne, to the Council of Constance, and the Court of Parlia­ment; to stop the course of these dete­stable Opinions, which tended to no less then the destruction of all the Crowned Heads in Christian Europe.

But at this day, I am asham'd to speak it, Kings themselves are they who pub­lickly authorize'em, and employ all their Forces to uphold and second Mur­derers. They make choice themselves of the Traytors who are to destroy King William. Thus you see the Art of Assassinating Kings preach'd up anew by the Jesuits, authoriz'd and suppor­ted by all the Power of Two Monarchs, one of which holds the First Rank in Christendom.

But these are only the Disciples; let us see what the Professors of this infa­mous Doctrine are themselves: There­fore that you may understand 'em well, I shall recite a Speech which the Gene­ral of the Jesuits made one day to the whole Crew of his Order; 'tis so re­markable, that 'twill not be unaccept­able, tho' set down word for word. 'Twas made when Queen Elizabeth [Page 54] Reign'd in England, and King James in Scotland.

Observe, I pray, the Expressions and Terms of this Harangue: You must, says the Jesuit, make use of Fire and Sword, for fear of a Gangrene. This [Page 56] is an Exhortation enough to shake the Crowns of all good Princes at this day reigning. After this, 'tis no wonder if the most Christian King and King James, who are as true Jesuits in their Hearts and Souls, as was the General of their Order, who made this Speech, associate in a Conspiracy to cut off a Princes, whom the Jesuits look upon at this day as the most Capital of their Enemies. A mortal Hatred, which has no other foundation then the Reli­gion which that Great Monarch pro­fesses. But would to God they only aim'd at the Religion of Princes; Hi­story would not then recout to us the Tragical Deaths of so many Great Princes, who have been offer'd up as Victims to their Fury; tho' they were Roman Catholicks, and no less emi­nent for their Piety and Zeal for the Propagation of the Roman Catholick Faith. Yet for all that, have they been e'er a whit the less spar'd, or e'er a jot the farther from being sacrific'd to the Doctrine of the Jesuits? But let us take a view of these Examples, for the satisfaction of the Reader. We have seen the Judgment which the Sorbonne gave of the Jesuits, upon their resettle­ment [Page 57] in France: After that, we have seen the Doctrine which teaches the Art of Assassinating Kings, condemn'd by the Faculty of Theology at Paris, and declar'd abominable by the Coun­cil of Constance; and, lastly, Maria­na's Books burnt by the hand of the Common Hangman, by a Decree of the Parliament of Paris. But notwith­standing these Thunders launc'd against their Errors and their Morals, you have also seen the General of the Order's Harangue made to all the Members of the Society. Let us now come to their Executions.

The first Tragical Example that Hi­story presents us withal, is the Assassi­nation of the Great William Prince of Orange, of Happy Memory. This Prince was the Object of all good Men's Love, and consequently the Object of the Jesuits Hatred: For the Assassines of Kings always aim at Ver­tue. A Tyrant, a Prince who wallows in his Pleasures, and Sacrifices all things to his Ambition, is in no danger.

The first Attempt of the Jesuits up­on the sacred Person of the great Prince William was made at Antwerp, by John Juvregni, a Spaniard by Birth. This [Page 58] wicked Ruffian discharg'd a Pocket-Pistol at the Prince, and wounded him in the Jaw below the Ear. Upon which, the Guard falling upon the Russian with their Swords and Hal­berds, kill'd him immediately, which was the reason that the Author of so black an Attempt, could never be dis­cover'd from the Mouth of the Murde­rer: But the Marks that were shew'd upon Juvregni's Body, made it suffi­ciently apparent that the Jesjuits were the Authors. Those Marks consisted in a green Wax-Candle, with the Sign of the Cross imprinted at the bottom, and a Medal stamp'd with the Image of the Virgin, which he carry'd upon his naked Skin, made by the Jesuits of Ma­drid, according to the Deposi [...]ion of one of his Accomplices, call'd Venero, who was executed some time after.

This Prince was look'd upon as the Head of the Hereticks and Rebels a­gainst the King of Spain. And the same Spirit, which is the Spirit of Rage and Fury, which caus'd 'em to act then, envenom'd 'em now against the King of England. But Vertuous Princes, who are the Nurslings of God, as Ho­mer says, or rather his enlivn'd Images, [Page 59] or as the Scripture calls 'em, The Anoint­ed of God, are in no Danger, so long as He takes care of their Preservation; and it is our hopes, that the same Divine Power will preserve King WILLIAM from all the Snares of his Enemies. But let us run over the Circumstan­ces that attended this dreadful At­tempt of Juvregni; for they are very remarkable.

A certain Monk call'd Father Ti­merman, born in Dunkirk, formerly a Jacobin, was apprehended and put in Prison for the same Fact: And be­ing examin'd by the Judges, he de­clar'd, That he had been bred up a­mong the Jesuites, from whom he learnt the Art of Assassinating Kings. That the said Juvregni coming to him, to confess his Design to kill the Prince of Orange, the said Father Anthony declar'd, That he gave him Absolution upon these Conditions: ‘That if he did not commit the Fact for Mony, but for the Glory of God, and out of his Zeal for the Catholick Apostolick Re­ligion, then it was lawful for him to do it, upon giving him Absolution, after laying before him the danger that might arise from the Fact.’

Such are the Principles of the JE­SƲITES, and by consequence of the Jesuited Princes that conspir'd against King WILLIAM. Forbid it Heaven, that any other Christian Prince, whe­ther Confederate or not Confederate, should be embru'd with the same Senti­ments! Most certain we are, that the Emperour, the K. of Spain, and all the rest of the Princes, who at this time constitute the August Confederacy that has taken Arms against France, detest these abominable Maxims.

The Publick Testimonies which they give of their Zeal for the Affairs of Eu­rope, their particular Esteem for the Person of King WILLIAM, make it apparent, that they have study'd Ver­tue in another School then that of the JESƲITES. And tho' the Emperour, and some other Catholick Princes, suffer 'em to reside in their Courts; never­theless, they take care how they list­en to their Advice, as they do in France, and as they did in England while K. James Reign'd, who made choice of a Jesuite for his chief Minister.

The most Christian King and K. James, are the only Instruments at pre­sent which the Jesuites make use of, to [Page 61] revive in Christendom, those dreadful Monsters, which the Wisdom and Pru­dence of our preceding Kings, took so much care to stifle.

Now let us see the end of the Conspi­racy form'd by the Jesuites, to cut off the Great WILLIAM. The first Blow failing, as we have set forth, yet would they not give over for all that: So that in the Year 1584. one Baltha­zar Gerard gave the fatal Stroak to that Noble Prince. He confess'd at his Execution, ‘That he liv'd privately with a Jesuite, whose Name he knew not, only that he was a Red-hair'd Man, Regent of the Colledge-of Treves, who assur'd him, That he had Commu­nicated his Enterprize to three of his Companions, who found it to the ALL FROM GOD; and before he left 'em, gave him their Benediction, as­certaining him withal, that if he dy'd in the Attempt, he should be put into the Kalendar of Martyrs.’ And with this Confession in his Mouth he dy'd.

After this bloody Scene, the Jesuites who had sworn the Extirpation of the August Family of the Princes of Orange, made an Attempt upon the Son of the [Page 62] Great WILLIAM, who was Prince Maurice. Furor Arma ministrat. The Spirit of Blood which push't 'em for­ward, excited 'em to suborn an infer­nal Monster, whose Name as Poter Panne, a Cooper, who undertook to Assassinate this Prince: But Provi­dence, which does not always permit the Wicked to prosper in their ungodly Enterprizes, so order'd it, that Peter Panne was apprehended just as he was about to have dipt his hands in the Blood of the Great Maurice.

The Offender was executed at Ley­den, the 22d of June 1598. and be­fore his Death confest, That the Je­suites of Doway had set him on to com­mit that Murther, upon promise of a Prebendary for his Son: And that when the Father Provincial gave him his Benediction, he embrac'd him, say­ing these words, Go my dear Friend in Peace, for you go like an Angel under the Protection of God, and dy'd with this Deposition in his Mouth.

These Attempts upon the Sacred Per­sons of these two Princes, make it plain­ly manifest, That the famous Masters who teach the Art of Assassinating Kings, have had a strange Hatred from [Page 63] time to time, against the Illustrious House of Orange; so that 'tis no won­der, if it now break out again in the Treason so lately contriv'd against the Person of King WILLIAM. One would think, that all Hell were let loose against that Prince; nor is it to be ex­pected, that the Fury of these deter­min'd Ruffians will ever be at an end, unless tyr'd out and wasted by exem­plary Punishment.

However, 'tis a singular Proof of the continual Care, that Providence takes for the preservation of this Great Mo­narch, that all the detestable Conspira­cies which these Sons of Belial contrive against his Person, are still discover'd, to the eternal Infamy of the Contri­vers, thereby render'd odious to per­petuity to all truly Christian Princes. 'Tis a foul piece of Treachery, un­worthy a most Christian Monarch, to seek the destruction of his Enemy by ways so detestable. For whatever Shifts and Evasious France may use to ward off the Reproach which all Christen­dom has at this day just reason to throw upon her, she will never be able to clear her self. She has got too bad a Name already for the Cruelties she has exer­cis'd [Page 64] upon her most faithful Subjects, and the Princes her Neighbours; so that she had little need to have added this stain of Infamy to the Nation, and render her self more obnoxious in all the rest of the Courts of Christendom.

After Prince Maurice, Queen Eli­zabeth, the Greatest and the most ver­tuous Princess of her Time, was in danger of losing her Life by the Fury of the same Assassinators.

William Parry, by Birth an English Man, and a Doctor of the Civil Law, was the detestable Instrument made choice of by the Jesuites, to attempt the Life of that Princess. This William Parry had spent his Life in all manner of looseness and Debauchery, till he had wasted his Estate, and reduc'd his Family to the Hospital: So that not being able to subsist in England, he took a resolution to travel into Ota­ly. Where being arriv'd at Venice, and not knowing what course to take for a Livelihood, his evil Star carry'd him to Father Benedict Palmin, a Jesuite; a Man of great Reputation among the Members of his Order, with whom he entered into a strict League of Amity.

After some few days Acquaintance, it came into Parry's mind to propose to the Jesuite the making an Attempt upon the Sacred Person of Queen E­lizabeth, in hopes to gain the Affecti­on of one whom he desired for a Pa­tron in a strange Countrey, where he had no Acquaintance, or else to signa­lize himself in the World by some remarkable Action.

With these thoughts he propos'd to the Jesuite, the killing of Queen Eli­zabeth, his natural Princess, and the setting up in her room Mary Queen of Scotland, a Roman Catholick. This Proposal was well lik'd by Father Pal­min, who extreamly encourag'd and applauded his Zeal, telling him, That there was nothing but Delay that could disappoint so noble and so pious a De­sign, that would acquire him not only a great Reputation in this World, but a blessed Immortality in Heaven.

Parry considering that time was pre­tious, leaves Italy, and comes to Lyon, where he was to deliver Father Pal­mins Letters to the Jesuites of that Ci­ty, and where having open'd his De­sign, he was receiv'd by the Jesuites with all the kindness imaginable, telling [Page 66] him, That they lookt upon him as the Restorer of the Catholick Apostolick Religion in England, Scotland and Ire­land.

And after they had bless'd him, and fortify'd him as much as lay in their power, for the execution of such a holy Act, they gave him Letters to Father Coldrett a Jesuite in the Colledge at Paris, to whom upon his Arrival, he confess'd himself; and after he had imparted to him his Design, Father Coldrette gave him his Benediction, applauded his Zeal for the Propagati­on of the Faith, and gave him all ne­cessary Instructions for the speedy Exe­cution of his Design.

This done, the holy Apostle depart­ed for England, and came to London, where he so order'd his business that he got to be admitted into the Queens Presence; and the better to insinuate himself into her Favour, he feign'd to make her Privy to a Conspiracy which the Roman Catholicks were weaving a­gainst her Life, and that he had pro­mis'd to enter into the Plot on purpose to sound 'em; of all which he thought it his Duty to inform her Majesty. And this detestable Murtherer told his [Page 67] Tale with so much Probability, that the Queen gave credit to it; so much the rather, because it agreed with the Intelligence which she had receiv'd from France, of a Design that was con­triving against her Person.

All this while, Heaven preserv'd this Illustrious Princess: For tho' Parry wanted neither Opportunity nor Reso­lution, for the Execution of his dete­stable Enterprize, yet Providence would not permit him to accomplish it. At length the Traytor imparted his thoughts to one Nevill, a Roman Catholick, in hopes of his Assistance; but he, detesting so horrid a Crime, kept Parry in suspense, and flatter'd him with fair Hopes, till he could find an Opportunity to inform the Queen, who order'd both to be apprehended, returning Thanks to Heaven for her Deliverance, from so great a Danger. Upon which, Parry being examin'd, confess'd the whole Matter with all the Circumstances, as we have here set 'em down; so that he was Executed up­on the 2d. of March 1584.

Such was the end of this Martyr, who the Jesuits had taken so much care to instruct, in order to the taking [Page 68] out of the World a Princess no less then belov'd, for her Zeal and Piety, then King WILLIAM is now for his Heroic Vertues.

But as the most Christian King and King James, true Jesuites as they are, disdain to give over for a Disappoint­ment, never aweary of returning to the Charge, so that there hardly passes a Campagne without some new Attempt to cut off King WILLIAM by treache­rous Violence: So in Queen Eliza­beths time, hardly one Conspiracy was discover'd, but the Jesuites were set­ting another on Foot.

For in the Year 1595. one Edward Squire, an English Man by Birth, and a Protestant, embarking in Sir F. Drakes Fleet, which was bound for America; the Ship wherein he was, being sepa­rated by bad Weather, was taken by the Spaniards, and he carry'd into Spain a Prisoner of War. In that Distress he fell into the Acquaintance of Fa­ther Richard Walpote, an English Je­suite, who in hopes of making him change his Religion, procur'd his Li­berty. Which, when Squire after he had got his Liberty, refus'd to do, he [Page 69] playd him a Jesuites Trick indeed, and clapt him up in the Inquisition; which prov'd so unsupportable to him, that he sacrific'd his Religion to his Liberty: After which Change, Walpote was so much the sole Master of his Will and Inclinations, that he easily instill'd into him the Villanous Sentiments of the Society. When he had him sure, he propos'd to him the making an At­tempt upon the Person of Queen Eliza­beth; adding, that it would be an Action pleasing to God, and by which he would certainly merit Paradice. Thus gain'd, he receiv'd the Jesuites last Orders, how to regulate himself; he confess'd, and receiv'd the Sacra­ment. At what time Father Walpote giving the Ruffian his Benediction, em­brac'd him, and after he had loaded his For head with a Thousand Signs of the Cross, Go Son, said he, God bless, con­duct, and strengthen thee; be of good Cou­rage, I engage my Soul for thine, and a­live or dead, thou shalt have a share in my Prayers.

After this, he put into his hands a Poyson, enclos'd within two Piggs Bladders, with Orders not to touch it without Gloves, for fear of poyson­ing [Page 70] himself: Which Poison was to be rubb'd upon the Pummel of the Queens Saddle, or the Elbow of her Chair of State, as he could find his best Oppor­tunity. But while Squire was slow in his Performance, or else was disap­pointed of meeting convenient Op­portunities, Walpote, who was impa­tient to hear of the Success of his Di­sciple, nor receiving any Intelligence from him, and therefore believing him­self betray'd and gull'd, while he medi­tated Revenge upon Squire, was him­self the occasion of the Discovery: For he immediately sent away an English-man from Spain, with directions that he should pretend that he had made his Escape out of the Inquisition, and in­form Queen Elizabeth of the Conspi­racy. Which he did in good earnest. Whereupon the Queen caus'd Squire to be sought for, and apprehended: And being thus in hold, he was soon convicted and condemned; and at the Place of Execution, discover'd who was the Person that had set him at work.

Nor was this the last Attempt upon the Life of that vertuous Princess; for that during the whole course of her Reign, she escap'd most terrible Snares, [Page 71] and many wicked Contrivances against her Life: So that if Divine Providence had not had a particular care of her Life, she must infallibly have been hur­ry'd, by some violent Death, out of the World. Nor has Heaven shew'd less surprizing Wonders in the Preser­vation of the sacred Person of King William; of whom it may be said, that he has no sooner escap'd one Danger, but another threatens him.

Now all the Tragical Events, all the Conspiracies before recited, have de­duc'd their Original from the Jesuits: They were the Persons who first preach'd to the World the Art of As­sassinating Kings. Whence I conclude, that 'tis no wonder if at this very day we find the most Christian King and King James associated together in such a horrid Cabal, as has been lately dis­cover'd, seeing they are more Jesuits then Kings.

But it will be objected, That Queen Elizabeth was of the Reformed Pro­fession, and King William is of the same Religion; no wonder then the Jesuits cabal against 'em. To which I an­swer, That if Religion were the Pre­tence that could only justifie Conspira­cies [Page 72] and Assassinations, how came it to pass that Henry III. and Henry IV. who were both Roman Catholick Prin­ces, could not 'scape the being made Victims to the Fury of the same Mur­derers. Henry III. was a Monk in his Sentiments, and in all his Conduct; witness the cruel Massacre of St. Bar­tholomew, of which he was the Promo­ter. Henry IV. had chang'd his Reli­gion. Nevertheless the Blood of these Two Princes was ne'er the less spar'd; nor were they Both, the One and the Other, ne'er the less the Objects of the Jesuits Fury, then King William, who is a Reformed Prince.

'Tis not then the Religion of Princes that gives an occasion to these fatal Conspiracies against their sacred Per­sons; but rather a Spirit of Wicked­ness, Jealousie, Ambition, Fury, and unbridled Zeal, which animates the detestable Authors; who teach, that Princes are to be assassinated, who re­fuse to comply with their Designs and Purposes, and study their Advance­ment as the most Christian King and King James have done.

After this, I leave it to the Conside­ration of all good Catholick Princes, [Page 73] whose Interests are so closely united to those of the Protestant Princes, since they fight at this day for the same Cause, which is to free their Domi­nions from the Tyranny of the Com­mon Enemy; I leave it, I say, to their Consideration, whether they will be less expos'd to clandestine Attempts, for being Good Catholicks, then the Protestants.

The Barbarous Act which the Con­spirators so lately projected against the Person of King William, is a Fact which at this day concerns all Crowned Heads. The Emperour, the King of Spain, and all the rest of the Catholick Princes, are engag'd to exclaim so loudly against this detestable Enterprize, that the most Christian King, and King James, may lose all Thoughts of attempting the like, unless they desire to be look'd upon as the most odious of Princes that ever Reign'd among Christians or Pa­gans. I dare be also bold to say, That in respect of the Bloody Outrage which they have offer'd Religion and all Chri­stianity, the Catholick Princes are in some measure oblig'd to excite the [Page 74] Pope to launce out all the Thunder of the Vatican against these Monarchs, with Threats of Excommunication, if they beg not Pardon of God and the Church, for so black an Attempt, ac­cording to the Decrees of the Council of Constance, the Decisions of the Sor­bonne, and the Decree of the Parliament of Paris, before recited.

Well: After to Queen Elizabeth, the next Prince that presents himself upon the Jesuits Bloody Theater, is Henry IV. who succeeded next after the Death of Henry III. who was a true Roman Catholick, more Monk then King, but yet assassinated by James Clement. Henry IV. had chang'd his Religion; and yet wee find he had no more Mercy shew'd him then his Pre­decessor.

In the Year 1593. Peter Barriere, born at Orleans, being a Souldier in one of the Regiments of the Gens d'Armes, a Fancy took him to kill the King, out of a belief that he should do God good Service; which is always the gilded Pretence of these infamous As­sassines. [Page 75] To this purpose away he goes to Melun, where the Court then was; but upon intelligence given the King, grounded only upon a bare Suspicion, the Miscreant was apprehended at the Gate of the City: There was found about him a Knife much like a Baionette, which the Grenadiers in France make use of at this day. And this Knife was design'd for the fatal Blow that was to have been given the King.

Upon this, he was brought to his Trial; and being convicted of High Treason, was condemn'd to die: And at the Place of Execution he confess'd, That being at Lions, he had consulted four Religious Persons, one Carmelite, one Jacobin, one Capuchin, and one Jesuit; who after they had carefully enjoin'd him Secresie, gave him their Benediction, and confirm'd him in the Resolution he had taken. With that, away he went for Paris, and imme­diately apply'd himself to the Curate of St. Adnrews des Arts, a troublesom Fellow, and an Adherent to the League.

After he had made him privy to the Enterprize, he applauded it extreamly; but advis'd him above all things to con­ferr with the Rector of the Jesuits, which was done. The Rector assur'd him, that the Design which he had laid, was all from God; that it behoved him only to have a good Courage, to Confess himself, and receive the Sacra­ment. Afterwards, the Rector car­ry'd him into his Chamber, and after he had given him his last Instructions, gave him also his Benediction.

The next day he was confess'd by another Jesult, and received the Sacra­ment. He also imparted his Enter­prize to a Third of the same Order, who was a great Preacher, and a great Stickler in the Rebellion against the King, who approv'd his Resolution as most Holy and Meritorious. Upon which Approbation, he bought the Knife that was found about him, the Point of which he caus'd to be ground for the purpose; and in pursuance of his detestable Designs, he follow'd the King to Melun, where he was ap­prehended.

Besides this Confession, his Answers to the Interrogatories, put more home to him by his Judges, are such as ought to make all Princes asham'd, who de­clare themselves to be Favourers of the Jesuits. For being ask'd where he had learn'd that New Theology, which taught him to Murder Kings? He an­swer'd, That he was taught by Philoso­phy. Being ask'd, Whether he had never studied in the Colledge of Jesuits? He answer'd, Yes; under Father Gueret, with whom he had been two Years and a half. Being ask'd, whether he had been in the Chamber of Meditations, into which the Jesuites carry their grea­test Sinners, to shew 'em several dread­ful Portraitures of Devils, under vari­ous Figures, thereby pretending to re­duce 'em to a better Life, or rather to dislocate and disorder their Minds, and prepare them by terrible Visions for some bloody Undertaking? He answer'd, That he had often been in the Chamber of Meditations.

Being ask'd whether he had been in­cited to murder the King; he answer'd, That he had been told, it was a laudable [Page 78] Thing to kill the King; and that they who told him so, call'd him Tyrant. Being ask'd, whether such Proposals and Maxims as these were not often in the mouths of the Jesuites? He made answer, That he had heard 'em say, that it was lawful to kill the King: That he was not to be obey'd nor look'd upon as King, till he was absolv'd by the Pope.

This was the Confession of this noto­rious Offender, before all the Cham­bers assembl'd in a Body: And being upon the Wheel, he said, There were still two swarthy Priests, whose Names he knew not, who were departed from Lyons, upon the same Design; but that he aim'd to have got before 'em, that he might have had all the Honour of the De­sign.

But Barrier having miss'd his Blow, the Jesuites would not stop there: They had determin'd the King's Death, and therefore no means must be left unessay'd to cut him off. Not much unlike the Blood-thirsty Prosecution of Conspiracy upon Conspiracy, against the sacred Person of King William at [Page 79] this day. But that which is to be ad­mir'd at, in the Proceedings of the Con­spirators now a-days, is this: That they are authoriz'd and protected by two Christian Princes; whereas in the Attempts laid against Henry IV. the Jesuites alone were the principal Actors. The next Monster therefore whom they made choice of, after Barrier, to attempt the Life of that Renowned Prince, was John Chastel, a young Stripling, about nineteen Years of Age, who had been brought up in the Colledge of the Jesuites; and this was a Master-piece of the Morality which he learnt among 'em. Upon the 27th of December, 1594. he sought an opportunity to put his Enterprize in execution. The King being at the Louvre, Chastel found a way to get himself admitted among the Courtiers, and to get near the King, who was then discoursing very pleasantly with several of the Great Lords; at what time, he so well took his time, that he struck his Majesty in the Mouth with his Knife, without being perceiv'd; which put all the Lords into a most terrible Consternation, not knowing from whence the fatal Blow came.

In the mean time, the Ruffian taking his advantage of this Disorder, cunning­ly dropt the Knife, and thrust himself into the Crowd, as if he had done no­thing, in hopes to have made his escape. However, the Courtiers, who were bu­sie in searching after the Assassine, seiz'd upon this same Stranger at a venture, being no otherwise assur'd whether he were guilty or not. Nevertheless, he was no sooner apprehended, but he confess'd the Crime. Upon which, the Parliament made a Decree, wherein the Jesuites are so well set forth to the Life, as one would think should be anough to make all Princes asham'd, that suffer 'em in their Courts and Do­minions; particularly Lewis XIV. and James II. who make 'em their Favou­rites, their Counsellors, and their Chief Ministers of State.

Having thus given you a description of the Disciple, let us take a view of the Masters in the Art of Assassinating Princes. John Guignard, a Jesuite, who was Regent of the Colledge of Clermont, was apprehended by Com­missioners whom the Parliament sent to the Colledge of Clermont, to seize the Papers of that infamous Professor, among which they found several writ­ten with his own hand; wherein he as­serted, That it was lawful to assassinate Henry III. and gave Instructions in or­der to the murder of Henry IV. Upon which, the Parliament made another signal Decree, bearing date the 7th. of January, 1595.

After such an authentick Piece, which so fully exposes the Blackness of the Crimes, which the Authors of the Do­ctrine that teaches the Art of Assassina­ting Princes, commit in the World, what is there which all the Princes of Europe have not reason to fear; especi­ally when this Doctrine is authoriz'd and supported with all the Fury and Power of the most Christian King, and the utmost of King James's Ability.

Should this continue, there is nothing to be expected but Butchery and Mas­sacre all over Europe; and a Pious, De­bonaire, Magnanimous Prince, belov'd by his Subjects, must always carry Death in his Bosom. All human Pru­dence will not be able to preserve him from the Attempts of Conspirators. Nor does it concern Protestant Princes alone, but the Roman Catholicks also, to be careful of their own Preserva­tion.

The 10th. of the same Month, the Parliament issu'd forth another Edict, against Peter Chastel, the Father of John Chastel, and John Gueret, the Je­suit, who was John's Master. The Substance of which Edict was, That John Gueret should be banish'd for ever; and that Peter Chastel, the Father of the Ruffian, should pay a Forfeiture of 2000 Livres, be banish'd for Nine Years out of the Kingdom; that his House should be pull'd down, and the Place be consecrated to publick Use, with a Prohibition that it should never be built upon again: That a Pillar of Free-stone should be erected upon the [Page 86] void Space, with a Plate, representing in large Characters the detestable Pa­ricide committed upon Hen. IV. to render the Memory of the Authors and Instruments, which the Jesuites made use of, to commit so black and enormous an Action, infamous to E­ternity.

In pursuance of this Edict, a Pillar was Erected before one of the Gates of the Palace, upon the Bridge call'd, Pont au Change, where the Ruffians House stood, and there remain'd till the Return of the Jesuites into France. Nevertheless, this mark of Ignominy did no way discourage the Jesuites. Barrier and Chastel had miss'd of their Blow, and therefore the Authors who set 'em at work, enrag'd that they had not atton'd their Fury by the total Effusion of that renowned Prince's Blood, resolv'd to make a thild At­tempt upon his Life.

But before we recount the Circum­stances of the Assassination of Hen. IV. let us speak one word concorning James Clement, who Assassinated Hen. III. [Page 87] Till the Death of Hen. IV. there was some reason to question, who were the true Authors that set James Clement to work; for that as soon as ever he had struck the Stroak, he was kill'd by the Guards of Hen. III. which was the rea­son that it could never be understood from the mouth of the Murtherer, who were the Authors and Accomplices of that detestable Action.

But the Death of Hen. IV. which fol­low'd not long after that of Hen. III. unfolds the Riddle, and gave Justice those Illustrations which she was igno­rant of before. 'Twas then found that the Jesuites were the Persons who had embru'd their Parricide Hands in the Blood of that Prince. James Clement had been a Student in their Colledge, where he had learnt their Doctrine, and after all his great Learning, was become a Jacobin. Nor will it be amiss to take a view of the Memoirs which the Je­suite Guignard had drawn up and which afterwards fell into the Hands of Ju­stice.

The Cruel Nero, says he, speaking [Page 88] of Hen. III. was kill'd by one Clement, and the counterfeit Monk fell by the Hands of a true Monk. The Heroick Act perform'd by James Clement, as a Gift of the Holy Spirit, so call'd by us Divines, is justly applauded by the Prior of the Jacobins, Confessor and Martyr; and the Crown of France ought to be tran­slated into another Family then that of the Bourbons: And the Bearnois, meaning Hen. IV. will be treated a little more gently then he deserves, if they give him a Monks Crown in some well reform'd Con­vent, there to repent for the Calamities he has brought upon France, and to thank God for being so favourable to him as to spare him an opportunity to know himself. And if he cannot be depos'd without a War, let 'em make War upon him; and if it cannot be done by War, let him be kill'd.

Now let us observe the Circumstan­ces of this great Princes Death, so re­markable through the Conformity which they had with what so lately pass'd in the intended Assassination of of King WILLIAM, had not God in his mercy averted the fatal Stroak, by the Discovery of the Conspiracy.

Heury IV. had resolv'd upon the day of his Coronation, and of the Publick Entry of the Queen his Royal Con­sort, to give some marks of his Cle­mency to the Prisoners of the Bastile; and to render the Act so much the more August, he laid a Design of going in Per­son. To which purpose between three and four a Clock in the Afternoon, his Majesty took Coach at the Entrance in­to the Louvre, admitting only the Dukes of Espernon, Monthason, Roquelaure, and three other Lords, to go along with him, who rode altogether in the Kings Coach; the Guards being forbid to follow him.

That Order, and that moment of Time prov'd fatal to the Life of that magnanimous Prince. For Ravilliac, as he declar'd himself at the place of Exe­cution, having a long time before pre­meditated the Assassination of his Ma­jesty, follow'd him to the Street, call'd La Rue de la Ferronerie, before St. Cle­ments Church-Yard, where seeing the King's Coach stopp'd by some Carts, and the Monarch leaning toward the Duke of Espernon, with whom he was [Page 90] in Discourse, the Monster animated by the Devil, got up upon the Fore-wheel of the Coach, and with his Knife made on purpose, gave the King two Stabs into the Breast, and bereav'd him of his Life in the midst of his Bravest Ge­nerals. Both which Blows wore given with that swiftness, that they were hardly perceiv'd. The first enter'd be­tween his fifth and sixth Rib, pierc'd his Heart, and reach'd the hollow Vein, which being cut, that great Prince lost his Speech and his Life both to­gether. As for the second, it only ras'd the Skin, without any more hurt.

No body saw the Blow Struck; so that if the Parricide had but flung away the Knife, it could never have been known who was the Author of that detestable Fact. Presently the six Lords that were with the King alighted, and some sought for the Parricide, while others went to help the King; but one of 'em seeing he had lost his Speech, and that the Blood ran out of his mouth, cry'd out, The King is Dead. Upon which words, the People were all in a hurry, and such a [Page 91] terrible Despair seiz'd 'em, that they threw themselves into the Shops adjoin­ing, as if the City had been taken by the Enemy.

One of the Lords observing the Dis­order, bethought himself of giving it out, That the King was only wound­ed, and that he was fallen into a swoon. They call'd for Wine, and while they ran to fetch it, they pull'd down the Boots of the Coach, telling the People, That seeing the King was only wounded, they would have him carry'd back to the Louvre to be dress't.

The Queen in her Cabinet, re­ceiv'd the doleful Tidings, over-whelm'd with sorrow, and in a strange Consternation was going to meet the Body of her dear Monarch; but being met by the Chancellor, he put a stop to her. Upon whose approach, the Queen all in Tears, cry'd out, Alas, the King is Dead! To whom the Chancellor, without the least Disorder in his Countenance, because the Affairs of the Kingdom then requir'd it: Your Majesty must excuse me, Kings never die [Page 92] in France: And so having persuaded her to return into her Cabinet, We must have a care, said he, least our Tears ren­der our Affairs desperate; we must re­serve them till another time. There are those that weep both for You and Ʋs. 'Tis for your Majesty to take care both of Ʋs and your self; We have need of Reme­dies and not of Tears.

After such a fatal Stroak which put all France in Mourning, it may be said, That the Rage of the Jesuites, who had the greatest share in the Fact, was in some measure assuag'd. Tho' when we consider the Benefits which they had receiv'd from that Prince, and the Sig­nal Proofs of his Clemency which he had given 'em, since their being recall'd into France, who would have thought this Monarch should have been a Victim to their Fury?

In the Year 1625. in the Month of May, this Prince had given 'em leave to pull down the Pyramid erected be­fore the Palace in the Place where John Chastel was born, who had been a Stu­dent in their Colledge, and was set up for [Page 93] an Eternal Monument of Infamy to the Jesuites, who had set 'em on to attempt the Life of this Prince. For on the top of the Pillar, were to be seen Plates of Marble, whereon were Engrav'd in Letters of Gold, the Decree of the Court of Parliament against John Cha­stel and the Jesuites, and over the four Corners, were set up four Statues of four Vertues.

There was reason enough to believe, That this Monument would have stood many Ages; but the King, in hopes that the Remembrance of his Favours, would have engag'd the Jesuites to live more Christian like for the future, out of a Horror which they ought to have had, of so many Attempts against his Life, commanded the Lieutenant Civil, Miron to cause it to be pull'd down, and to Erect a Fountain in the same place, which was done.

The more Curious were pleas'd to say, when the four Statues were pull'd down, among which was the Statue of Justice, That Justice had erected the Pillar, but that the King's Clemency [Page 94] had pull'd it down. On the other side, they who abhorr'd the Jesuites Do­ctrine, that Taught the Assassination of Princes, made the four following Verses:

But notwithstanding this, and what­ever else was publish'd or written a­gainst the Jesuites, that Monarch per­sever'd in giving 'em all the marks ima­ginable, of his Goodness and Clemency, which lasted till the end of his Life. Three Weeks also before he was Assassi­nated by Ravaillac, he sent for the Brass Plate from the Printer John le Clerc, which was made in the Year 1595. to [Page 95] the end there might not remain the least Footstep of their Infamy.

So many Illustrious Proofs of that Princes Love toward those perfidious People, plainly demonstrate to us on the one side, the natural Inclination of that Prince to do good; and on the other, the Infidelity and Treachery of those Authors who teach the Art of Assassinating Kings, and who were ne­ver satisfy'd till they had embru'd their Parricide Hands in the Blood of their Benefactor.

We must therefore conclude, from all that has been said, concerning the cruel Assassination of Hen. IV. complotted by the Jesuites, and put in execution by the detestable Ravaillac, that so long as there are any Jesuites in the world, the Art of Assassinating Kings will be taught in the World; and that ac­cording to this Principle, every good Roman Catholick Prince as well as Pro­testant, will be expos'd to the Fury of these Assassinates. So that all Mo­narchs or Soveraigns in Europe, who are not the Jesuites Friends, or rather [Page 96] who are not the Executors of their exe­crable Designs, or who contemn their Counsels in matters of Religion, have no more to do, then only to make their Wills, and prepare betimes for Death.

As for the most Christian King and K. James, they are in no Danger. Those two Princes are the Societies Pupils; they'le be sure to die a natural Death. Which is the reason, that both those Monarchs, in acknowledgment, are so prodigal of their Favours to the Je­suites. The Society proposes to 'em, the Destruction of a Heretick Prince by Sword or Poyson. Now King WIL­LIAM is lookt upon by those Tray­tors, as the Restorer of Calvinism, the Deliverer of the Oppressed English, and the Instrument whom God at this day makes use of, to free all Europe from the Fetters of French Slavery. This is suf­ficient to render him Odious to the Je­suites, and by consequence, to their Protectors Lewis the Great, and James the Little.

Therefore, according to the cruel Maxims of these Assassines of Kings, [Page 97] there is nothing to be omitted that may hasten the Destruction of this Great Prince. And this is the Source and Spring of the Conspiracy so lately discover'd, and the Fatal Original of all the Attempts upon his Sacred Per­son, since his coming to the Throne of Great Britain.

But the Politicians of the Times will say, wherefore do the Jesuites attempt the Persons of Roman Catholick Prin­ces? Princes who were the sworn and irreconcilable Enemies of the Hugonots, as was Hen. III. who consented to the cruel Massaker of St. Bartholomew, and who said one day, That if he had but one Faggot in the world, he would give it with all his Heart to burn the last He­retick, and set fire to it himself? Or a Hen. IV. who had abjur'd his Religion to become Roman Catholick? Such a way of Proceeding, ought it not to have secur'd him from all Attempts of the Jesuites? What could they have ex­acted more from him?

To this I answer, That 'twas not any Principle of Religion, as to the [Page 98] Persons of the Princes, which caus'd those detestable Assassines to act as they did; for that those Princes were as Zealous Catholicks as they could de­sire: But because those Monarchs, more especially Hen. IV. was not en­clin'd to do the Protestants all that Mis­chief which the Jesuites would have had him have done. For Example, they would have had him revok'd the Edict of Nants. The King had grant­ed 'em that Edict of Pacification, to asswage the Troubles that had tur­moyl'd France for so long time. Which was the Rise of that implacable Hatred which the Jesuites had for his Person, which was never satisfy'd till they had laid him in his Tomb, by committing the most cruel and enormous of Crimes.

Thus you see, now far the Fury of Religion will carry Men, when they are guided by no other Principles but those of Ambition and false Zeal. That unbridl'd Zeal is only a mista­ken Assurance, that they do God good Service in destroying Princes, when they are not devoted to their Party and to their Interests.

From the Murther of Henry the Great, we shall descend to the Un­fortunate Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, who was also the Jesuites Victim, tho' after a different man­ner. We have told yee, That the Roman Catholick Religion is not ca­pable to preserve the Sacred Persons of Princes or Princesses from the Hands of Conspirators. Queen Ma­ry was as Zealous for the Roman Ca­tholick Religion, as ever any Prin­cess in the World: And it may be said in a word, That She was as good a Roman Catholick, as Queen Elizabeth was a good Protestant; on­ly that the Zeal of the former ex­tended it self even to Fury.

Nevertheless, the Jesuites having sworn her Destruction, they were never satisfy'd till they had plung'd her in those Misfortunes which cost her both her Life and her Crown at the same time. She had been de­tain'd a Prisoner about 18 or 19 Years, in hopes that by the Death of Queen Elizabeth, she might one [Page 100] day obtain her Liberty, and step in­to the Throne. In these flattering Hopes she spent her Days, and gave her self up wholly to Religion and Piety, as the only Consolation she had left, to soften the Sorrows and Vexations of her Imprisonment.

But the Jesuites, who never sleep when there is any extraordinary Game to be play'd, but sacrifice to their Tyrannical Politicks, the dear­est Persons in the World, to bring about their Ends; in the Year 1582, sent into England one Father Henry Saumier, a Jesuite, under the Cha­racter of their Deputy, with private Instructions for the Parts he was to Act.

To this purpose, he took upon him the Habit of an Officer. Nor did he leave any Stone unturn'd, to raise Combustions and Troubles in England. However, he did not think it convenient to discover himself at first to any but the Roman Catho­lick Lords; and in regard Queen Mary was not then so close guarded, [Page 101] but that the greatest part of the Ca­tholick Lords might have access to her Person, the Jesuite Saumier had an opportunity to introduce himself into her Presence; and then declar'd it to her as a Secret, That he was sent to her from the General of their Order, to let her understand, that all the Catholick Princes had extrcam­ly concern'd themselves in the pro­curing her Liberty, as well for the Re-establishment of the Catholick Religion in the Three Kingdoms, and for her Advancement to the Throne in the room of Queen Eliza­beth. As for what remain'd, he be­sought her to redouble her Zeal and Piety for Religion, and that she would endeavour to dispose and prepare for so great a Design, all such good and faithful Subjects as were able to con­tribute toward it; to the end that in so doing, she might be set at Li­berty from the Slavery of her Rival; and second the fervent Prayers which the whole Order made to God for the Accomplishment of an Enterprize so pious and so holy.

But in regard these Perfidious Peo­ple never tread a step without Trea­son in their Bosoms, while the Je­suite Saumier fed that Unfortunate Princess with these gaudy Hopes, he complotted with the Catholick Lords the Advancement of some Catholick Prince of the House of Austria, to the Throne of England, under pretence that he being more Potent then Queen Mary, would be able to favour and support their Designs by force of Arms, which was so requisite for the carrying on their great Entor­prizes. Whereas, the Weakness of Queen Mary would be the Disappoint­ment of all at the Beginning.

That Princess, over credulous, gave Credit to all the Fair Promises of the Flattering Jesuite, without having the least suspition, that she had then to do with a Knave that was going to make her a Publick Sacrifice. 'Tis true, that when Saumier imparted to her the first Discoveries of his De­sign, she shew'd at first some Reluct­ancy to engage in so nice and tick­lish [Page 103] an Affair, that would be her infallible Ruine, should she happen to be betray'd. Upon which, the Je­suite told her, That if she refus'd to give her consent, that he knew se­veral ways to deprive both her and her Son of the Succession to the Crown; adding Expressions injuri­ous to the Circumspection and Pru­dence of that Princess: Quod si mo­lesta fuisset, nec illa nec filius ejus regnarent. Saying withal, That it was the last Order which he had from his Superiours.

Let us now see the end of the Tragedy. The Guises, who were the next of kin to Queen Mary, and whose Interests were united with the Interests of that Princess, and con­sequently ought to have been inform'd of this whole Negotiation, knew no­thing of it. The Jesuites had so well order'd their Affairs to hinder the Guises from giving 'em any Obstru­ction, by reason that their Aim being to deceive Queen Mary, and advance in her Place some Prince of the House of Austria, as we have said [Page 104] already, thought it more to the pur­pose, to find out new work for the Guises in France, that they might not have leisure to mind the Destiny of their Kinswoman.

In the mean time, that great Con­spiracy which was lay'd so privately, and carry'd on so secretly by the De­vices and Artifices of the Jesuites, was discover'd at length to Queen Elizabeth, by some of the Lords her Friends, who had feign'd to be of the Conspiracy. Thereupon Queen Mary was accus'd of Conspiring a­gainst the Life of the Reigning Queen, and Executed, and with her fell some of the Lords that had a share in the Plot. And the Jesuite that had drawn 'em into all that Mischief, fled out of the Kingdom with all the Precipita­tion imaginable, leaving all those of his Party in a world of Trouble and Confusion.

Hen. III. of France, who was the only Person in whose Power it was to save this unfortunate Princess, sent M. de Bellievre indeed to Queen [Page 105] Elizabeth, with Orders to be very importunate for the Life of Queen Mary, which he was to outward Appearance, while underhand (for Reasons of State, and in pursuance of the King's private Orders) he persuaded the Queen to cut off her Head, as the Common Enemy of their Persons and Kingdoms, the Crime be­ing sufficiently prov'd.

The Dissimulation of Hen. III. in this Affair, was grounded upon im­portant Reasons, which concern'd his Person, and the Tranquility of his Kingdom. For that Mary being the next Heir to the Crown England, should she have hapned to succeed Queen Elizabeth, the Guises, who were irreconcilable Enemies to Hen. III. and Counsellors of Queen Mary, their Kinswoman, would have fa­vour'd that Princesses Party against him, if they did not make use of all the Power of England, to engage him in a fatal War; for the Guises were al­ready too powerful in France. So that good Policy-requir'd that Prince to take all the Precautions imagina­ble, [Page 106] for keeping fair with Queen E­lizabeth, and preserving her Alli­ance.

However it were, the Jesuites were still the first Instruments of the death of that Princess, while they sacrific'd her Life, in hopes of raising a Foreign Prince to the Throne. But what is there which they have not now done, to raise K. James to the Throne? Did they not find a way to sacrince King Charles, his Brother, and to cut him off by Poyson? What is there which they leave unacted against King WIL­LIAM? How many Attempts, how many Conspiracies and reiterated Plots against the Sacred Person of this Illust­rious Prince? And all to raise to the Crown of England a Furious Bigot, full of Transport, and in a word, a sangui­nary Priest, more Jesuite then King.

The most Christian King is very ill advis'd, to seek the having a share in an Action so treacherous and so odious, as that of complotting with the Jesuites and K. James, the Death of a Prince who now Reigns with so much Glory, [Page 107] the meanest of whose Actions will de­face, or at least ecclipse whatever was perform'd of most remarkable & famous under the Reign of Lewis the Great. Witness the Parallel that might be made between their Lives and their Actions, between which without que­stion, there would be a vast Diffe­rence, were they to be display'd to the World without Passion or Preju­dice. But let us pursue these Assassina­tors of Kings, to the end we may shew to what excess of Rage and Fury the Diabolical Art and Infernal Doctrine which they have taught in the world, is able to Transport 'em.

In the Year 1605. which had like to have prov'd fatal to all England, by the Destruction of the Prince, and all the Nobility of the Kingdom at the same time. A Blow so much the more deadly and terrible, because it was not lookt for, nor so much as dreamt of, in the midst of that Peace which Eng­land then enjoy'd. Nevertheless, the Misfortunes threaten'd by that dete­stable Conspiracy, vanish'd by the Dis­covery of it; so that it was not at­tended [Page 108] with any Catastrophe, unless it were, what turn'd to the Confusi­on of the Actors, who were to have play'd that Bloody Tragedy.

I shall not insist upon the Circum­stances of this Infernal Plot, as being so well known to all the People of England. It may be only said, That this was one of the Jesuites Master­pieces, to have blown up not only the Soveraign Monarch himself, (for a single Blow would not then serve their Turn,) but all the Royal Fami­ly, and all the Nobility of the King­dom. The Quintessence of Jesuitical Machination, which struck with Hor­ror not only the English Monarchy, but fill'd with Consternation and De­testation of the Fact all the Foreign Courts of Europe. Insomuch that the Jesuite Baldwin being accus'd by his Accomplices, to have been one of the Principal Contrivers of that dreadful Conspiracy, and afterwards apprehend­ed at Frankendale in Germany, was from thence carry'd to Heydelberg, and thence by Order of the Elector Palatin, sent with his Hands and Feet bound in­to England.

The King was also so sensible of his Escape, that he made a Speech to the Parliament upon the importance of the Discovery; wherein he set forth the great Danger from which God had preserv'd his Sacred Person, the Queen his Wife, his Children, and lastly, all the Nobility of the Kingdom, whose Blood was to have been all intermingl'd and blended toge­ther in a moment.

In like manner, does King William exhort all his good and faithful Sub­jects, who are interested in the Pre­servation of his Sacred Person, to re­turn Thanks to Heaven, for having deliver'd him from so imminent a Dan­ger. But what wonders of Provi­dence do we not behold in the Dis­covery of a Design so deeply laid for for the Destruction of this great Mo­narch! Without contradiction, the most execrable and cruel Conspiracy that ever was.

For the Relation that we have gi­ven of all the Attempts which the Je­suites have been all along contriving and making upon the Sacred Persons of Princes, we find not any one that was carry'd on with more Contrivance and Artifice. All the cunning Wari­ness, all the Infernal Subtilty of the Jesuites, supported by all the Power of the most Christian King, were made use of in the carrying it on; and the exe­cution of it was to have been per­form'd with all the Cruelty of King James, so that if God by Secrets of [Page 111] Providence unknown to Men, had not stir'd up the Conspirators to discover it of themselves, the Blow had been infallible.

Nevertheless, the most Christian King desirous to hoodwink the Eyes of all Europe, and to make the Chri­stian Princes believe, that he had no share in so treacherous and odious an Action, caus'd a Report to be spread abroad of a pretended Manifosto, which he resolv'd to publish to the World. And M. Pontchartrain has already gi­ven Orders to the Gazetteer of Paris, to give us some Preliminaries in or­der to it, and by way of Explanati­on of what we are farther to expect, to exclaim in the Publick News a­gainst a Bloody Injury done this Great Monarch, by those that charge him with being an Accomplice in so foul and detestable an Attempt. And to prepare the Minds of People to give his Apology a kind Reception, he has begun to say something of it in his last Ordinary, in the following Terms, as we have here set 'em down word for word.

'Tis not the Gazetteer that speaks this, but the Ministers of France themselves. It must be thought that either the most Christian King and his Ministers have forget the use of [Page 113] their Sences, or else that they will not allow the Princes of Europe to have common Reason, while they talk at this rate. They would make the World believe, that this is but a a Vision; that the Conspiracy that makes so loud a Noise, was only a Trick of State, to try the Fidelity of the People, or a Fancy of Poli­cy to blacken France with Eternal In­famy.

If we would be so easie as to believe the Court of France, all the Conspi­racys which have hitherto been con­triv'd against the Person of the King of England, have only been pretences to gain some end or other; either to get Money from his Parliament, or to put a value upon himself, or to try the Fidelity of his Subjects.

But those People who advanc't such Calumnies as these, must be as great Deluders, and as knavish in their Evasions as the Ministers of France themselves. By this means the most Christian King their Master, in pur­suance of the Maxims of the Jesuites [Page 114] his Counsellors, shall be always at­tempting the Destruction of a Prince, by delivering him into the hands of Traytors and Assassines; and when they miss their Blow, and that the Conspiracies are discover'd, he shall have a delicate excuse to say, they were all Pretences or Tricks of Policy which the Prince made use of to advance his Affairs, and fix himself in the Affecti­ons of his Subjects.

This is not the first time that France has made her self known in this parti­cular. The most Christian King is be­come so famous in all the Courts of the Christian Princes, by his Treache­ries, that without doing him any wrong, we may safely judge him guilty of having dipt his hands in this, and to have been one of the principal Authors, as indeed he was. And without Dissi­mulation, we may safely say, That what­soever ingenious Tour they give to so base an Act, all Christendom is so well convinc'd of the truth of it, that I will never believe that Monarch will ever be able to wash it off, with all the Elo­quence that ever he can hire to endea­vour it.

To prepossess, they say, the Publick, by Artifices like those that have so fre­quently been made use of. Observe here, that the Ministers of France (for they are the Persons that send to the Gazet­teer what the Court thinks proper to publish) acknowledge themselves, that this is not the first time that France has attempted the of Person K. William. So frequently made use of, say they. Upon what occasion? Why, upon frequent Conspiracies; for nothing else can be gather'd from the Words. So then, if the Pretences were frequent, it fol­lows that the Conspiracies were fre­quent; and if frequent, then real, and not imaginary; otherwise there had been no ground for Pretences; for the People are not frequently to be deluded by the self-same Artifices. On the other side, if the Conspiracies were real, then they could be no Pretences, but just Occasions of Complaint. 'Twere well for the most Christian King and King James, that they could acquit themselves at the cheap rate of Frequent Pretences.

But since King William's Advance­ment to the Throne of England, we [Page 116] have seen no less then Eight different Conspiracies. In all the Campagnes since the War declar'd, we have seen New Monsters spring up, which the Council of France has brought forth to destroy this Noble Prince. The Confessions of the Accomplices, the intercepted Letters, the private Con­ferences of the Assassines with the Chief Ministers of the Court of France, their Indictments and Trials, and last­ly, the Executions of the Traytors, have sufficiently justify'd the Truth of their Crimes. All which demonstrates to us, that the most Christian King and King James, were the principal Authors of all those bloody Contri­vances.

But by this we may see, how far Effronterie will carry these Ministers, who will presume to deny a matter of Fact that is apparent to the Eyes of all Men, and which all the Earth acknow­ledges for such. Thus, says the Paris Gazetteer, or rather the Eccho of the Court of France's Voice, The Pretence of a Conspiracy has serv'd to countenance the inserting into a Publick Act, a Part of an Oath which was rejected when the [Page 117] Business of the Commissioners of Trade was examin'd; though they durst not, out of a Remainder of Respect for the Truth, and the Fundamental Laws of the King­dom, make use of the principal Clauses which caus'd it to be rejected.

The Oath which all the Lords una­nimously took to defend King William and his Government, against all the At­tempts of his Enemies; the Act of Asso­ciation, whereby all the Members ob­lige themselves to revenge his Death upon the Assassines, in case he should come to a violent End; the Bill by which the Parliament is to be conti­nu'd, tho' it should please God to af­flict the Kingdom by the sudden Death of the King; and the Clause inserted against suspected Persons, by which it is made lawful for the King to appre­hend all suspected Persons, detain 'em in Prison, and seize their Horses and Arms. All these things the Court of France looks upon with an evil eye. These are new Degrees of Grandour, Puissance, and Authority, which they never lookt for. This encrease of Union and good Correspondence be­tween his Majesty and his Parliament; [Page 118] the earnest Applications and sincere Zeal of the English Nobility, by which they all unanimously concurr to sacri­fice their Estates and Lives, for the Preservation of his Britannick Maje­sty: All this, I say, extreamly per­plexes the most Christian King; and this is that which makes his Ministers give out, That the Pretence of a Conspi­racy has given the English an Opportu­nity to insert into a Publick Act, a Part of an Oath which had been rejected, &c.

To answer therefore, in a word, to all these Evasions, I will say, That the Experience of Things past, has so well taught the Christian Princes to understand the Spirit and Cenius of the Council of France, that all the Craft and Artifice of her Ministers will ne'er be able to disengage 'em out of the Labyrinth into which they have run themselves. 'Tis a Personal Stain that Sullies the Crown of the most Christian King, and which will heap Infamy upon Him, as long as He lives.

As for King James, he is a Prince abandon'd to his Sanguinary Passions, to Murders, Violences, and from his tender Years has breath'd nothing but Hatred and Fury against the Ʋni­ted Provinces, and their Governours. King William being then but Prince of Orange, has had the cruel Expe­rience of it to this very day: And the Name of the Duke of York has always been so suspected to that Re­publick, that She has always lookt upon Him as her greatest Enemy: Witness the Pains he took in the Time of King Charles his Brother, to exaspe­rate Him to the Dutch Wars, and to foment in Him an irreconcileable Ha­tred against this State, by creating perpetual Quarrels between the Eng­lish and Hollanders, upon the account of Trade; and by exciting King Charles to unite with France, for the Destruction of this Republick, and by using a thousand other Extremi­ties, which have render'd him odious, and caus'd him to this day to be lookt upon as a Prince that never gave any other then base and mean Ex­amples of a transported Bigot, more Jesuite then Prince.

I cannot for bear reciting here one Passage in History, which is in the Annals of the Republick of Holland; by which the world may judge of the Inclinations of this Prince, which always incens'd him to do all the Mis­chief that lay in his Power to the Re­publick of Holland.

At the beginning of the Year 1673 a detestable Enterprize was discover'd at Amsterdam; the Design of which was, to have burnt all the States Men of War. The Person that was to have put this fatal Design in execu­tion, was one John Fraser, a Scotch­man. The Duke of York, who had been all along an irreconcileable Ene­my of the Ʋnited Provinces, had en­gag'd him by great Promises to go through with this treacherous Under­taking, as the confess'd himself, when he was apprenended without being put to the Rack. This miserable Wretch was broken upon the Wheel, and his Body expos'd upon the Wheel, near Vootewyk.

But this is but only single a sketch of his Fury: The whole Life of this [Page 121] Prince has been a continu'd Series of Attempts, Treacheries, Conspiracies, and Murders, with which the West of England rings to this day. The san­guinary Passion which he learnt from the Jesuites, who bred him form his Youth, have exasperated him not only to do mischief to the Hollanders, but all the Protestant Princes of Europe, without sparing his Friends, his Con­federates, and even his nearest Rela­tions; witness the precipitated End of Charles II. his Brother; meerly out of a Desire of Reign.

For Princes who only consult their Prevailing Passion, and ardent Thirst of Soveraignty, will sacrifice all to at­tain their End. Thus if we may be­lieve a Great Archbishop of France, Marie de Medicis, Second Wife to Henry IV. concerted the Death of her Husband with the Jesuits and Ravillac, out of impetuous Thirst after the Re­gency. And when she was confirm'd, she quickly shew'd what Princes or Princesses are capable of doing, that are over-rul'd by that cursed Passion.

Catharine de Medicis was possess'd with that insatiable Passion all the [Page 122] whole course of her Life; witness what we are going to recite, though so much care was taken to conceal it. She was, as they well know that are vers'd in the History of France, the Mother of Three Kings; Francis II. Charles IX. and Henry II. and might have been of a Fourth, had the Duke of Alenson, her youngest Son, liv'd. Francis II. being dead, Catharine de Medicis obtain'd the Regency during the Minority of Charles IX. her Son, by means of those Artifices which she made use of: Nevertheless, the Civil Wars over whelm'd her with Business, with Vexation, and perpetual Dis­quiet, and reduc'd her even to the point of seeing her self constrain'd to quit the Management of the King­dom to the Prince of Conde, gave her soon to apprehend, that a Crown was a Burthen too heavy for a Wo­man.

In the midst of these Perplexities, she retir'd to her Closet, that she might wholly abandon her self to So­litude for some days, giving order that no Person should come near her. But at length she sent for M. de Mesme, [Page 123] a Person of the Long Role, for whom she had a particular Esteem, as being one that had given her several signal Proofs of his extraordinary Zeal for her Service upon several Occasions.

To this Person the Queen deliver'd a Steel Box, well lockt, with a Key; telling him at the same time, that the Civil War affording her but ill Presages of her Destiny, she thought it convenient to entrust in his keep­ing that Sacred Depositum, which was the richest Treasure she had in the World, with Orders never to open it, or deliver it to any Person, un­less by her Command sign'd with her own Hand.

Now the Queen dying without ever sending for the Boy from M. de Mesme, and he also deceasing not long after Catherine de Medicis, the Heirs of de Mesme, kept it a long time in their Family without opening it: But at length, Time, which causes us to for­get all things, had bury'd the Queen's Commands in Oblivion, insomuch that Curiosity would needs entice the Grand­children of de Mesme to open the Box, [Page 124] in hopes to find some inestimable Trea­sure: But instead of that, the Box being open'd, they met with a Sight which struck them with Horrour: It was an Oval Copper Medal, in form of a Buckler, which the ancient Ro­mans consecrated to their false Gods.

The Sculpture of the Medal repre­sented Catharine de Medicis upon her Knees, making an Offering to the Devil, who was painted sitting upon a high-rais'd Throne, with all the deformed Delineations of Affright and Terror imaginable: On each side of the Queen were her Three Sons, Charles, Henry, and the Duke of Alenson, with this Impress in French: Soit, pourven que je regne. Let it be so, provided I may Reign. Which Medal is still to be seen in the Family of de Mesme, from which the Count d'Avaux, formerly Ambassador in Holland is descended. And they whose Curiousity leads 'em to be more di­stinctly inform'd of the Circumstan­ces of this Secret, may hear it from the Lips of that Minister.

Such are the Crimes which Princes are carry'd to commit, by their exor­bitant Ambition of Rule, or rather by their unbridled Fury and Zeal. Whence we conclude, that 'tis no wonder if King James, who has all along been animated with this Fury, and possess'd by this unruly Passion, seeks now to re­gain his lost Throne by the Assassina­tion of King William. But God, who has all along taken care of this Magna­nimous Prince, and guarded him from all the Snares of his Enemies, will, we trust preserve Him still a Blessing to Europe, in despite of all their dete­stable Enterprizes. All the Christian Princes unite their Prayers to Heaven for his Happy Preservation. And, indeed, it is the Interest of all Christen­dom, which looks upon Him as Her De­liverer, and as the Person who is to set Her free from all the Mischiefs that have afflicted Her for so many Years.

Most Serene PRINCES,

This is a violent Outrage, an At­tempt which ought to awake the Care and Zeal which you have shew'd for the Common Cause, ever since the com­mencement [Page 126] of the War. 'Tis that laudable Ardour which ought to engage yee to redouble your Efforts against the Common Enemy of your Lives, your Territories, your States, and your Li­berty. you ought all to be enliven'd with the same Spirit and Resolution, to demand Reparation of your Enemies, for an Act so base and so abominable.

Let it never be said, that your wan­ted either Counsel or Courage to re­venge an Attempt form'd against the Life of one of your Confederates. 'Tis an Act wherein you are all equally con­cern'd, since the Interests are still the same which first engag'd you to take Arms, and which ought still to encou­rage yee unanimously to concurr with our Magnanimous Prince, in seeking all the Brave and Noble Ways imaginable that a lawful War will permit, for the pulling down so mortal, so haughty, so inexorable an Enemy as Lewis XIV.

Nor can we endeavour this incom­parable Design with more Honour, than by redoubling our Efforts to car­ry on the present War with all the Fer­vour imaginable. This is that which [Page 127] the most Christian Monarch dreads; and this is that which made him hasten, had it been possible, the Destruction of the most Potent and most Formidable of his Enemies. He saw the impossi­bility of vanquishing him by force of Arms; though he wanted neither good Generals, nor stout and numerous Ar­mies; nor Fortune of his side; and all this back'd with Treacheries and Con­spiracies, laid against the Life of his Powerful Adversary. All this has hitherto prov'd fruitless; however, he must vanquish or lose all his ill-got Ho­nour. And this it is that enrages the most Christian Usurper against King William, and inspires him with new Attempts. Nor do they now conceal themselves as in the former Conspira­cies; they are no longer Two or Three Assassines that now seek the Life of King William, but Shoals of Murderers that shew themselves barefac'd, sup­ported and authoriz'd by Two Kings, who give 'em their Orders under their own Hands, and supply 'em with Mo­ney, Arms, and Horses. What a Shame! what an abject Baseness is this for Christian princes! And what [Page 128] may we not expect for the future from such Disciples, who have so well profited in the School which teachers the Art of Assassinating Kings? 'Tis a Fact which will cover the Authors of it with Shame for ever, and strike a Horrour into all Pagan Princes, who never knew among them­selves the Practice of these detestable Principles. I defie any Man to find, in any of the most faithful Histories, the least footstep of this barbarous Fury, condemn'd by all Religions, and all good Men.

'Tis now for the most Christian King and King James, to say what they can for Themselves; and we expect with impatience the Manifesto which is promis'd us. We know there is no want of eloquent Pens in France, to varnish over a Piece of this Mo­ment and Importance, and give it that specious Tour which it shall please the Court, on purpose to put an Illu­sion upon the Publick, and cover the Horrour of this detestable Crime.

'Tis a sort of Coin which the most Christian King has so frequently made [Page 129] use of upon these Occasions, that there are few Courts in Europe where­in it will any longer pass for current. The Confederate Princes are prepos­ses'd of this; and know very well what France is meditating upon this Subject: Whatever ingenious Tour she gives her Manifesto, and whatever Tricks she plays to ward off the bloody Reproaches which all Chri­stendom will throw upon her, and that deservedly too, she will never be able to justifie her self, nor to make an Apology, such a one was will do her Business.

'Tis a hard matter to render Good and just, a Cause that is bad of it self; they must not be weak and feeble Arguments that are employ'd upon this Occasion. This thing now in dispute is a matter of Fact, averr'd and attested by the Mouths of the Conspirators themselves: So many Authentick Proofs; so many undeniable Witnesses which the Confederates have of so important a Fact are sufficient, if not to stop the Mouth, yet to con­vince the World of the Guilt of the [Page 130] most Christian King. The Tryals of the Conspirators, the Attestati­ons of the Evidence, will answer this Manifesto, whenever it appears, in such a manner, as will be a Pub­lick Conviction of the Authors and Abettors of so base and black an Enter­prize. So that unless the Council of France make haste with their Manifesto, they may justly fear that the Trials in England will prevent 'em, by rendring all the Artisices of France of no use to her, and by publishing Particulars of the whole Conspiracy so essential, that it will be a dissiult matter for the Ministers of that Crown to answer, whatever care they take, or whatever trouble they put themselves to.

We dare advertise them before-hand, that whatever they advance, will only serve to render the matter of fact more manifest. However, let 'em produce their Reasons whether good or bad. 'Tis a Priviledge which the most rigo­rous Justice allows the most Guilty; which is, to plead their own Cause, and alledge what they think most pro­per for their Justification, according to the Accusations charg'd upon 'em.

Let us then conclude, in expectation of this Manifesto, which without que­stion, will be one of the most study'd Cabinet-Pieces that ever the Court of France set forth; let us then conclude, that it would have been much better for the Crown of France, that the most Christian King had never medled in this Conspiracy; 'tis an odious Stain that reflects upon all the Nation, and blackens it with an Infamy which many Ages to come will never wipe away. In the mean time, K. William, according to the Principles of Christianity, sincerely pardons his Enemies, and prays to God to forgive the heinousness of their Crime; assur'd, that so long as he is under the Protection of Divine Providence, he shall never be in danger, but shall tri­umph over all their vile and clande­stine Attempts, whatever Snares they lay to ravish away his Life.