THat for many years now last past, there hath been contriv'd and carryed on a Traiterous and Execrable Conspiracy and Plot within this Kingdom of England, and other pla­ces, to alter, change, and subvert the ancient Government and Laws of this Kingdom and Nation, and to suppress the true Re­ligion therein established, and to extirpate and destroy the Profes­sors thereof; which said Plot and Conspiracy was contrived and carryed on in divers places, and by several wayes and means, and by a great number of Persons of several Qualities and Degrees, who acted therein, and intended thereby to execute and accom­plish the aforesaid Wicked and Traiterous Designs and Purposes.

That the said William Earl of Powis, William Viscount Stafford, Henry Lord Arundel of Wardour, William Lord Petre, and John Lord Bellasis, together with Philip Howard, commonly called Cardinal of Norfolk, Thomas White, alias Whitebread, commonly called Provincial of the Jesuits in England, Richard Strange, late Provincial of the Jesuits in England, [...] Vincent, com­monly called Provincial of the Dominicans in England, James Corker, commonly called President of the Benedictines, Sir John Warner alias Clare, Barronet, William Harcourt, John Keines, Ni­cholas Blundel, Pole Edward Mico, Thomas Bedingfield alias Beni­field, Bazill Langworth, Charles Peters, Richard Peters, John Con­yers, Sir George Wakeman, John Fenwick, Dominick Kelly, [...] Fitz-Gerralt, [...] Evers, Sir Thomas Preston, William Lo­vell, Jesuits, Lord Baltamore, John Carrel, John Townley, Richard Langhorn, William Foggarty, Thomas Penny, Matthew Medburn, Ed­ward Coleman, William Ireland, John Grove, Thomas Pickering, John Smith, and divers others, Jesuits, Priests and Fryars, and other per­sons, as false Traytors to his Majesty and this Kingdom, within the time aforesaid have Trayterously consulted, contrived and acted to and for the accomplishing of the said wicked, pernicious and Trayterous Designs, and for that end did most wickedly and Traterously agree, conspire and resolve to Imprison, depose, and murther his Sacred Majesty, and to deprive him of his Royal State, Crown, and Dignity, and by malicious and advised speak­ing, writing, and otherwise, declared such their Purposes and In­tentions.

And also to subject this Kingdom and Nation to the Pope and his Tyrannical Government.

And to seize and share amongst themselves the Estates and In­heritances of his Majesty's Protestant Subjects.

And to erect and restore Abbies, Monasteries, and other Convents and Societies, which have been long since by the Laws of this Kingdom supprest for their Superstition and Idolatry, and to deliver up and restore to them the Lands and Possessions now invested in His Majesty and his Subjects by the Laws and Statutes of this Realm.

And also to Found and Erect new Monasteries and Convents, and to remove and deprive all Protestant Bishops and other Eccle­siastical Persons from their Offices, Benefices, and Preferments; and by this means to destroy His Majesties Person, extirpate the Protestant Religion, overthrow the Rights, Liberties, and Pro­perties of all His Majesties good Subjects, subvert the lawful Government of this Kingdom, and subject the same to the Ty­ranny of the See of Rome.

That the said Conspirators and their Complices and Confe­derates trayterously had, and held, several Meetings, Assemblies and Consultations, wherein it was contrived and designed a­mongst them what means should be used, and what Persons and Instruments should be employed to murder His Majesty; and did then and there resolve to effect it by poysoning, shooting, stabbing, or some such-like ways and means; and offered Re­wards and Promises of Advantage to several Persons to execute the same, and hired and employed several wicked Persons to go to Windsor and other places where His Majesty did reside, to mur­der and destroy His Majesty: which said Persons, or some of them, accepted such Rewards, and undertook the perpetrating thereof, and did actually go to the said places for that end and purpose.

That the said Conspirators, the better to compass their Tray­terous Designs, have consulted to raise, and have procured and raised Men, Money, Horses, Arms, and Amunition; and also have made application to, and treated and corresponded with, the Pope, his Cardinals, Nuncios, and Agents, and with other Foreign Ministers and Persons, to raise and obtain Supplies of Men, Money, Arms, and Amunition, therewith to make, levy, and raise War, Rebellion, and Tumults within this Kingdom, and to Invade the same with Foreign Forces; and to surprize, seize, and destroy His Majesties Navy, Forts, Magazines, and [Page 5]places of strength within this Kingdom: Whereupon the Cala­mities of War, Murders of Innocent Subjects, Men, Women, and Children; Burnings, Rapines, Devastations, and other dreadful miseries and mischiefs must inevitably have ensued, to the ruine and destruction of this Nation.

That the said Conspirators have procured, accepted, and de­livered out several Instruments, Commissions, and Powers; made and granted by, or under the Pope, or other unlawful and usurping Authority, to raise and dispose of Men, Money, Arms, and other things necessary for their wicked and trayterous Designs; and namely, a Commission to the said Henry Lord A­rundel of Wardour, to be Lord High Chancellor of England; to the said William Earl of Powis, to be Lord Treasurer of England: A­nother Commission to the said John Lord Bellasis to be General of the Army to be raised, and the said William Lord Petre to be Lieutenant General of the said Army, and a Power to the said William Viscount Stafford to be Pay-master of the Army: That in order to encourage themselves in prosecuting their said wicked Plots, Conspiracies, and Treasons, and to hide and hinder the discovery of the same: and to secure themselves from Justice and punishment, the Conspirators aforesaid, and Confederates, have used many wicked and Diabolical Practises, (viz.) They did cause their Priests to Administer to the said Conspirators an Oath of Secrecy, together with their Sacrament; and also did cause their said Priests upon Confessions to give their Absolutions, upon condition that they should conceal the said Conspiracy.

And when about the Month of September last Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, a Justice of Peace, had, according to the Duty of his Oath and Office taken several Examinations and Informa­tions concerning the said Conspiracy and Plot, the said Con­spirators, or some of them, by Advice, Assistance, Counsel and Instigation of the rest, did incite and procure divers persons to lye in wait and pursue the said Sir Edmundbury Godfrey several dayes, with intent to murther him, which at last was penetrated and effected by them; for which said horrid Crimes and Offen­ces Robert Green, Henry Berry, and Lawrence Hill, have since been attainted, and Dominick Kelly, and [...] Gerald, and others, are fled for the same.

After which Murther, and before the Body was found, or the Murther known to any but the Complices therein, the said per­sons falsly gave out that he was alive, and privately married; and after the Body was found, dispersed a false and malicious Report that he had murthered himself.

Which said Murther was committed with design to stifle and sup­press the Evidence he had taken, and had knowledge of, and to dis­courage and deter Magistrates, and others, from acting in the further discovery of the said Plot and Conspiracy, for which end also the said Sir Edmundbury Godfrey while he was alive, was by them their Complices, and Favourites, threatned and discouraged in his proceedings about the same.

And of their further malice they have wickedly contrived by many false suggestions, to lay the imputation and guilt of the aforesaid horrid and detestable Crimes upon the Protestants, that so thereby they might escape the Punishments they have justly deserv­ed, and expose the Protestants to great scandal, and subject them to Persecution and Oppression in all Kingdoms and Countries where the Roman Religion is received and professed.

All which Treasons, Crimes, and Offences above mentioned, were contrived, committed, perpetrated, acted, and done by the said Wil­liam Earl of Powis, William Lord Viscount Stafford, Henry Lord Arundel of Wardour, William Lord Petre, and John Lord Bella­sis, and every of them, and others the Conspirators aforesaid, a­gainst our Soveraign Lord the King, his Crown and Dignity, and against the Laws and Statutes of this Kingdom.

Of all which Treasons, Crimes, and Offences, the Knights, Citi­zens, and Burgesses in Parliament assembled, do in the Name of them­selves, and of the Commons of England, Impeach the said William Earl of Powis, William Viscount Stafford, Henry Lord Arundel of Wardour, William Lord Petre, and John Lord Bellasis, and every of them.

And the said Commons by Protestation, saving to themselves the liberty of exhibiting at any time hereafter any other Accusations or Impeachments against the said William Earl of Powis, William Vis­count Stafford, Henry Lord Arundel of Wardour, William Lord Petre, and John Lord Bellasis, and every of them, and also of re­plying to the Answers which they and every of them shall make to the Premises, or any of them, or to any other Accusation or Im­peachment which shall be by them exhibited (as the Cause accord­ing to course and proceedings of Parliament shall require) do pray that the said William Earl of Powis, William Viscount Stafford, Hen­ry Lord Arundel of Wardour, William Lord Petre, and John Lord Bellasis, and every of them, may be put to answer all and every of the Premises, and that such Proceedings, Examinations, Tryals, and Judgments may be upon them, and every of them, had and used, as shall be agreeable to Law and Justice, and Course of Parliament.

Resolved that the said Articles be ingrossed.