WE live in a Wonder-working Age, wherein Death (the ultimate Execution of the Law) is not deemed sufficient for the Punishment of a Malefactor, but his dead Ashes must also be disturbed with the Animadversions and Remarks of every witty and wanton Pen. The good Old Rule, de mortuis nil nisi Bonum seem­ing to be quite antiquated.

There was not one that suffered upon account of the late hellish Popish Plot, though at their Deaths they denied all effectually, and asserted their own Innocence with all Pro­testations imaginable, yet some of them (as the five Jesuits, &c.) expressing the common English saying of the Child unborn, and the like, had their last Speeches (for that Reason) ani­madverted upon. And when Langhorne, and the late Lord Stafford, in their Speeches gave no such occasions; Then matter was invented for the Animadverters to work upon; as that Langhorne was disciplined or whipt, the Lord Stafford was kept Drunk or intoxicated with Spirits and Brandy. Nay, even the late Earl of Essex, though he was his own Execu­tioner, and died as private and quiet as was possible (without one word of a Speech) yet oh Monstrous; Matter was also invented for Animadversions upon his death.

It's true, the first three (viz.) Walcot, Hone and Rouse; that were executed for this Fana­tical Conspiracy, escaped their animadverting and remarking Pens. But the Reason is plain, they at the Gallows made their own Speeches, and therein confessed the Conspiracy and submitted willingly. Now the Loyal Party disdaining to Triumph over dead men (ac­cording to their wonted modesty) were silent; And as for the Whiggs, they were other­wise imployed, laying all their Heads together how to sham the Conspiracy it self, and to Render it (to the Mobile) a mere Story and trick of State. The contrary whereof these three mens Speeches and Confessions sufficiently evinc'd, and therefore they were very de­sirous they should rest in Oblivion. But when one of the Top of the Party, the late Lord Russel, came to Dye, and he having with the Assistance of his Scotch Ghostly Father compiled his written Speech, and delivered it to the Sheriff; It no sooner appeared in the World, but Lord, how many Pens were presently imployed to Animadvert and Remark upon it, though I must needs confess there was some Reason for so doing, for his Lordship upon delivery of that Paper spake words to the Sheriff contradictory to the Purport thereof, Saying he knew of no Plot. And yet in the Paper confessed the CONSPIRACT. And besides, the Paper it self was so stuff'd with Contradictions, Evasions, and Equivocations, that his Lordship seemed to have out stript the whole Colledge of Jesuits in these faculties.

But pray Gentlemen, how comes Collonel Sydneys Paper to be animadverted and remark'd upon, when it's neither intituled his last Speech, nor so much as looks like a Speech, for there is neither Confession nor Denial in the whole Paper; And if these light and nimble Pen­men had considered the second Paragraph in the Paper, they might have perceived it a Flat-Bar to any Animadverting upon it, the Paragraph being thus; Moreover, we live in an Age that maketh Truth pass for Treason: I dare not say any thing contrary unto [it] And the Ears of those that are about me will probably be found too tender to hear it. My Tryal and Condemnation doth sufficiently Evidence this. Now Mr. Animadverter you should first have found out the Relatives to the first, [it] and the last word [this] in the Paragraph, and then have made sense (if you could) of the whole, before you had troubled your self to Animadvert upon it.

I perceive you seem mighty angry with the Collonel for the ill words he in the next Para­graph gives the Lord Howard; I must agree they are very uncharitable ones, and very unfit for a dying man to utter, especially any who professeth Christianity, which enjoyns all it's Dis­ciples [Page]not only to forgive, but to pray for their Enemies, as they expect their Prayers should be heard and their Sins forgiven; But I suppose the Collonel was in a dogged ill Humour when he wrote this Paragraph; However you might have observed he was so much a Gentleman as not to tell a Lye, and therefore (as I suppose) could not deny the least Iota the Lord Howard evi­denc'd against him at his Tryal, and from thence all Mankind (without breach of Charity) may conclude, that his Lordship Swore nothing but plain and pregnant Truth. The Conse­quence whereof naturally is, that Collonel Sydney was a Traytor, and deserved to Suffer as such, and I cannot find by his Paper, that he himself was of any other Opinion.

Now since the Protestant Church of England, with all its true Sons, teach, profess, and pra­ctice (according to the holy Scriptures and the example of our Blessed Lord and Saviour and his Apostles,) That Kings are Gods anointed, and Gods Vicegerents; That their Functions and Persons are exceeding sacred, and not to be approached but with an untoucht admiration; What? If for quieness sake, and to comply with the Collonels ill humor we grant him his Whim Wham, That the Right and Power of Magistrates in every Country was, That which the Laws of that Country made it to be; I cannot see any great hurt in it, Since even the Laws of England do not onely confirm the Church of England in the above mentioned Doctrine and Practice; But do further avow and declare, That the Crown of England is an Imperial Crown; That the King is supream in all Causes, and over all Persons &c. That the King can do no wrong; That it is not lawful upon any account whatsoever to take up Arms against the King or any commissionated by him. That neither the People, collective or representative, have any Coordinate Power with (much less) Jurisdiction over the King, and the like; We may very well hope that though our Modern Whiggs (according to the Principles and Practice of those in 40. and 41. and the late Cargalites in Scotland) seem to have stifled their Consciences as to Gods Laws in these Particulars, Yet even these humane Laws may be sufficient to bridle and curb the unruliest Spirit of them all, or to send them after the Collonel and his old Companions, Harrison, Scott, Cooke, &c.

But how came you Animadverters to appropriate all Idols and Idolatry to Popery, when­as it seems most plain that this doughty Collonel by the Idols and Idolatry in his Paper aim­ed at Monarchy and Hierarchy; and upon that account one may fancy the Collonel speak­ing to his Men, Brethren and Father; Friends, Country-men, and Strangers, at the head of a new raised Regiment.

In like manner the Animadverter hath taken a great deal of Pains to interpret the Collo­nel's Paper before he found out the Deity to whom the Paper was directed, for as for the God by whom Kings Reign, The God of Peace, &c. I cannot find by the Paper that the Collo­nel meant any such. And therefore it may be supposed he admired Mars; For I find by his Principles and Practice he was an utter Enemy to Venus.

Now I am so far from envying the Collonel in his Imaginary Happiness in being singled out as a Witness for the OLD CAƲSE in which he was from his Youth engaged, and for which (his God) had so often and wonderfully declared himself; That I heartily wish that every Mothers Son in the three Kingdoms that still obstinately retain the same af­fection for that CAƲSE, and are so maliciously or wilfully blinded either not to see, or else do envy the great plenty, Peace, Ease and Happiness we enjoy under our most excellent Prince, the best of Governments, That they may be all singled out, and forthwith compelled to give their evidence in the same manner as this their deceased Brother Collonel Sydney hath done.

The Animadverter hath done well to leave it to the Gentlemen of the long Robe to answer so much of the Paper as concerns them. But I hope they have better and more profitable Employments than to spend their Time or Pains with the Insolencies and Imperti­nency of every Boutifeu.

And now you Animadverters and Remarkers, If this that I have here said be not suffici­ent to deter you from the like Practices hereafter, I here protest that the next time I catch you tardy I will send the Salamanca Doctor, who shall fall upon you with his 30000 Pilgrims armed most dreadfully with Black-bills and Mustard-balls, or else in his more sure and speedier way I will prevail with him