Clerk. Crier, call William Price, Dorothy James, Maney Trott, John James, Catharine Thomas. He calls them, and they all appear. Then says the clerk to the crier, swear them: and he sware them all. Judge. (Sir Robert Atkins.) William Price, look on the prisoner, do you know him? Price. Yes, my lord, I do know him. Judge. What have you to say of him? Price. My lord, about a year and a half ago I saw him at Mrs. Bartlet's house, at a place called Castle-Morton in Worcestershire, and there I heard him read Mass, I was at confession with him, and I received the Sacrament from him, according to that way. Judge. Was there any altar, or any crucifixes or copes? Price. Yes, my lord, that there were. Judge. Well, Mr. Lewis, what have you to say to this? Prisoner. With your lordship's leave, I will answer all together. Judge. Very good, you do well, it will be so much the shorter. Dorothy James, look on the prisoner, do you know him? Dorothy. Yes, my lord. Judge. What have you to say of him? Dorothy. My lord, I saw him say Mass, take confessions, give the Sacrament, marry, christen, and heard him preach in the English and Welch. Judge. Were there altars and crucifixes? Dorothy. Yes, my lord, altars, crucifixes, chalices, and such other things belonging to that way. Arnold. Did you see him give that they call Extreme Unction? Dorothy. Yes, that I did, to my uncle, my father's brother. Judge. Do you know what Extreme Unc tion is ? Dorothy. Yes, that I do, it is anointing sick people with oil, when they are dying. Judge. It is right; that is another Sacrament of their church, grounding themselves upon these words of St. James, as I take it, If any be sick among you, let him be anointed.' But that was in the times of miracles only. Arnold. Did he take upon him to free souls from purgatory? Dorothy. Yes, that he did, and he had of me eight pounds in silver, and one piece of gold, to free my father's soul." Prisoner. God is my witness, to my best knowledge, I never had one single piece of any money from her or her husband, upon any account whatsoever. Judge. Have you any more to say? Dorothy. No, my lord. [And with that she laughed at the bar.] Judge. How now, woman! do you make a laughing-game of it? Carry yourself more modest, for the gentleman is for his life, and it is no jesting matter. Well, William James, look upon the prisoner. Do you know the prisoner? and what have you to say of him? Wm. James. Yes, my lord, I do know him, and I have seen him read Mass many times, and take confessions, and give the Sacrament, and christen, and marry. Judge. Have you any more to say? Judge. Mr. Trott, what have you to say of the prisoner? Did you ever hear him read Mass? Was he reputed commonly a Jesuit, or Popish priest? Trott. Yes, my lord, he was commonly reputed so, and I heard him often read Mass; and I saw him marry Mr. Gunter's daughter to Mr. Body. Judge. Were you then of that religion? Trott. No, my lord, I was deluded by my wife out of the Protestant religion, and was a Papist during her life-time. Judge. Are you of that religion still? Trott. No, my lord. When I saw their wicked designs to kill my gracious king, I abhorred their traitorous proceedings, and left them, and am now a Protestant, in which I shall continue. Judge. You do well. Arnold. My lord, there is Mr. Roger Sayes, a very material witness. Judge. Crier, swear him. Mr. Sayes, what have you to say against the prisoner? Sayes. My lord, I was employed with others, on the 16th of November last, to go and search for him, and we found him, and took him, with several Popish things, which we carried away, &c. Judge. Did you see him at Mass? Judge. Then sit down. What have you to say, John James? What, are you dead, or afraid to be whipt? Look upon me, and speak out. John James. He married me and my wife. Judge. Is that all you know? Did you see him at Mass? John James. I know no more. Judge. Catharine Thomas, did you see him at Mass? Why do not you speak, woman? Speak, woman. C. Thomas. Yes. I have no more to say, do what you please with me. Arnold. My lord, there is one, Cornelius in Court, I see him, who was clerk. Judge. Crier, call him, swear him. Well, Cornelius, did you ever see the prisoner at Mass? Cornelius. I am an ignorant fellow, I know not what Mass is. Wm. James. My lord, he was his clerk. Cornelius. No, I was his servant. Judge. Well, sit down. Mr. Lewis, now what have you to say to all these witnesses, for yourself? Prisoner. My lord, my Indictment was, That being a natural subject of the king of England, | ing bought some few books at the stationers, I was ordained beyond the seas, by a juris- dined, took horse, returned home again: This is diction derived from the See of Rome, and re- all the being I ever was in Worcestershire. turned back again into England, &c. contrary Judge. Look upon him, do you know him? to the statute in that case made and provided, Price. Yes, my lord, he is the man. 27 Eliz. Under your lordship's favour, I con- Judge. Have you any more to say? ceive that there has not been here any one wit- Prisoner. Yes, my lord. Mr. Trot was ness, who hath proved the Indictment, or any married to a kinswoman of mine, and she was a considerable fortune to him, which he having part thereof. spent very idly, and she dying, he went to London, where finding an employment at Court, and there having done some unhandsome things, he was banished the court, and now lives upon the charity of gentlemen and friends for his bread; so that with good reason it may be believed, it is rather poverty and hope of gain, than any thing else, that brings him here to accuse me. Judge. What then? Do you expect we shall search the Records at Rome, or should bring persons to prove, that they saw you ordained there? No, Sir; it is enough that you have exercised the function of a priest, in copes and vestments used in your church, and that you have read Mass, taken confessions, given absolutions, married, and christened; if all this will not make you a priest, what will? I have tried several Popish priests, but never met with so full a proof as this now. Judge. Paupertas ad turpia cogit.' Little gentleman, [he was a dwarf,] what can you say to this? Prisoner. All these things supposed proved, will not make me a priest, unless proved to be Trot. My lord, I was over with the king, performed by me, as one ordained beyond the and he commanded me to attend him at Whiteseas, by the jurisdiction derived from the See ball on his Restoration, where I came when I of Rome; for the very ministry of the Church returned, and I was received into his service, of England take special confessions, and give but was never banished the court, only I came formal absolutions; many, in case of necessity, away upon discontent, and still I may go there christen, though no priests; and lately, the when I please: My lord, I am desirous to do my country knows it, one, no Popish priest, so-king and country good service, but I am in danJemnly married a couple; neither can one ger of my life amongst them, and must look to prove to have seen me read Mass, unless it be myself. proved first, that I was ordained beyond the seas, by a jurisdiction derived from the See of Rome; for, no such ordination, no priest; and, no priest, no Mass. Judge. To disprove all these witnesses, by saying, it cannot be proved you were ordained beyond the seas, by a jurisdiction derived from the See of Rome, is as much as that saying, Bellarmine, thou lyest. Prisoner. My lord, were it proved that I read Mass, that were not treason in me, for 1 am informed, that it were but the forfeiture of 200 marks, by a statute of 23 Eliz. Judge. It is true, who bears Mass, forfeits 100 marks. But he that uses to read it,commits treason: but these are the tricks of you all, yet all will not do have you any thing else to say? Prisoner. With your lordship's leave, now I desire to speak something to the evidence of every particular witness. Judge. Speak then. Judge. Ay, Mr. Trot, have a care of yourself, you do well. Mr. Lewis, have you any more to say for yourself? Prisoner. My lord, Dorothy James and William James her husband, their evidence is grounded upon plain malice, and that malice thus grounded: They pretending I owed them money, they sued me in Chancery; but after a considerable charge at law, finding themselves not like so to prevail, then they fell to threatening me, that they would have me in hand, that they would make me repent, that she would never give over to prosecute against me, till she had washed her hands in my heart's blood, and made pottage of my head. Judge. Can you prove that? Prisoner. Yes, my lord, that I can. Prisoner. Crier, call Richard Jones, Anne Judge. Anne Williams, what can you say? Anne Williams. I heard from several persons, that Dorothy James said to several persons, in and about Carlion, that she would wash her hands in Mr. Lewis's blood, and that she would have his head to make pottage of, as of a sheep's head. Prisoner. My lord, as to the first witness, Price; as I hope to be saved, to the best of my memory, I never saw him, till this very day. before. I never knew or heard before now of that Mrs. Bartlet, or of that place Castle Morton; I never was in that place all my life-time; nay, I never was in Worcestershire, or in any house in Worcestershire, but twice, the last time whereof was about five years ago; and that was but at my inn in Worcester town, where, with a servant, I alighted, bespoke my supper, went to the coffee-house, drank two dishes of coffee, read the Gazette, returned to my inn again, supped, went to bed, next morn-heart's blood, Catharine Cornelius. My lord, and I heard the same. Judge. Anne James, what can you say? Anne James. I heard Dorothy James swear, that she would wash her hands in Mr. Lewis's Sayes. No. Prisoner. My lord, with this opportunity I humbly beg leave to clear myself from a foul aspersion, wherewith I am calumniated over the whole nation, in a printed pamphlet, which pamphlet I can here produce; and wherein there is not one line of truth. For it says at the end of it, that I was taken by a justice of peace and others, in a place cunningly contrived under a clay-floor, which Mr. Sayes knows to be untrue; and whereas it alledges, That I cheated a poor woman of 30l. to redeem her father's soul out of purgatory, the pamphlet names neither the woman, nor her husband, nor her father, nor the place nor time, when nor where. Judge. Does it not? Prisoner. No, my lord; so that the whole pamphlet is one entire lie, devised by some foolish malice. Judge. Mr. Lewis, I, for my part, do not believe it to be true. Have you any more to say? Prisoner. No more, my lord. Judge. Then withdraw and repose. Gentlemen of the Jury, here he stands indicted, &c. [And summed up the whole evidence.] If you believe what the witnesses swore, you must find the prisoner Guilty of High Treason; you have beard what was proved against him, therefore go together. Prisoner. My lord, before the Jury go, I desire to speak something, which now occurs unto me, and is material against the evidence of Price. Judge. Can you prove that? Prisoner. Yes, my lord. Judge. Where are your witnesses? Prisoner. Crier, call Elizabeth Jones and Charles Edwards. Judge. Woman, what can you say to this? Eliz. Jones. My lord, Price this morning, after he had viewed the gentleman in his chamber, as he was going out he said, If he be the man, he is much changed, and hath black curled short hair; which is not so. Judge. Charles Edwards, what can you say? Edwards. I heard Price say the same words she relates. Judge. Where is Price? Crier, call him. But he was not to be found, being gone out of the hall. (This was the trick of Coleman, to asperse the witnesses.) [Here the Jury went out, and immediately returned again.] Clerk. Are you agreed of your verdict? Clerk. Who shall speak for you? Juru. Foreman. Afterwards, August 27, 1679, he was executed according to the Sentence, at Uske in Monmouthshire, where he spake as follows: "Here is a nomerous assembly, I see; the great Saviour of the world save every soul of you all; I believe you are here met not only to see a fellow-native die, but also with expectation to hear a dying fellow-native speak. If you expected it not, at least I intended it, I hope the favour will not be denied me, it being a favour so freely granted to several late dying persons in London itself. I shall endeavour to speak inoffensively; I hope the same favour will not be denied me. "Let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief, but if as a Christian, let him not be 'ashamed: Saint Peter's words, 1 Peter iv. 15, 16. I hope by God's holy spirit now whispered to my memory, and that to my abundant consolation; for I suffer not as a murderer, thief, or such-like malefactor, but as a Christian, and therefore am not ashamed. "I distinguish two sorts of life on earth, lifemoral and life-natural; life-moral is that by which we live with good repute in the esteem of other men of integrity; life-natural is that by which we breathe; in the first sort or kind, I thank God I have suffered lately, and exceedingly, when maliciously, falsely, and most injuriously, I was branded for a public cheat, in pamphlet, in ballad, on stage, and that in the head city of the kingdom, yea, and over the whole nation, to the huge and great detriment of my good name, which I always was as tender of, as the other I am now quitting. in me by Mr. Oates, Mr. Bedlow, Mr. Dug dale and Mr. Praunce, when by them I was strictly examined on that point, last May, in Newgate, London; nay, had I had the least knowledge or hint of such plot, I had been as zealously nimble in the discovery of it, as any the most loyal subject his majesty hath in his three kingdoms; wherefore, when I am dead and gone, if some malevolent give out, I lose my life for plotting, by charity strive to disen gage him of his mistake; do that right to my dead ashes. I was never taught that doctrine of king-killing; from my soul I detest and abhor it as exe crable and directly opposite to the principles of the religion I profess; what that is, you shall know by and by; it being the positive definition of the council of Constance, That it is damnable for any subject, or private person, or any subjects in council joined, to murder his or their lawful king or prince, or use any public or clandestine conspiration against him, though the said king or prince were a Turk, apostate, per The pamphletical story, believe my dying words, had no truth in it, neither to substance, nor circumstance of the thing; a story so false, that I could have easily defied the face that had attempted to justify it to my face; so sordid a business, a story so ridiculous, that I wonder how any sober Christian, at least who knew me, could as much as incline to believe so open an improbability; who that Protestant young man there mentioned was, I know not; who that Popish young woman; who the father dead a year and a half before; in what county, what parish, were all transacted, I know not, none of all these there particularized; and when in the face of the country at last Lent-secutor, yea or a tyrant in government; Never assizes, I vindicated my innocency herein, to the satisfaction of the then Judge himself, why appeared not there then some one to make good the charge, and disable my defence? But none of this offered; a plain demonstration to all candid minds, the whole was a mere fiction of some malicious person against me: God forgive them or him, I heartily do. How forward my endeavours always have been to my power to relieve the poor, and not directly to defraud them, impartial neighbours that know me can tell you; besides this, during my nine months imprisonment, several foul and false aspersions were cast out against me, and that by those unto whom, for full thirty years, I had been charitably serviceable: God forgive them, I heartily do. Yet notwithstanding all these calumniations, I hope I still retain the character of an honest man amongst gentlemen of worth, with whom I conversed, and with all neighbours of honesty, with and amongst whom I lived. And now I am parting with the other life by which I breathe, behold that within these few moments of time is to unbreathe me; but why thus sledged to this country Tyburn? Why this so untimely death of mine? Have patience, and I'll tell you; not for any plotting, I assure you; and what I shall now say, as to that, God is my witness, I shall speak without any equivocation, mental reservation, or palliation of truth whatsoever. tell me of Clement the murderer of Henry the 3d of France; never tell me of Ravilliac, murderer of Henry the 4th of France, they did so, but wickedly they did so, and for it they were punished to severity, as malefactors; and for it, to this very day, are stigmatized by all Roman catholics, for very miscreants, and vil lains. I hope you will not charge the whole Roman catholic body with the villainies of some few desperadoes: By that rule, all christianity must be answerable for the treason of Judas; for my part, I always loved my king, I always honoured his person, and I daily prayed for his prosperity; and now, with all unfeigned cordiality, I say it, God bless my gracious king and lawful prince, Charles 2, King of England, and Prince of Wales, God bless him temporally and eternally, God preserve him from all his real enemies, God direct him in all his coun cils, that may tend to the greater glory of the same great God; and whatever late plot hath been, or is, the Father of lights bring it to light, the contrivers of it, and the actors in it, that such may be brought to their condign punishment, and innocence preserved. But why again this untimely death? My religion is the Roman catholic religion, in it I have lived above this forty years, in it I now die; and so fixedly die, that if all the good things in this world were offered me to renounce it, all should not move me one hair's breadth from my Roman catholic faith; a Roman ca tholic I am, a Roman catholic priest I am, a Roman catholic priest of that religious order called the Society of Jesus I am; and I bless God who first called me; and I bless the hour in which I was first called both unto faith and By all that is sacred in heaven and earth, Í here solemnly protest, that I am as innocent from any plot whatever against his majesty's person or government, as the infant that left the mother's womb but yesterday; neither did I ever hear or know any thing directly or indi-function. rectly of any such plot, till public fame bad spread it over the country between Michaelmas and All-Saints day last: This is true, as God shall judge and save my soul; neither was there any guilt of any such black crime found VOL. VII. Please now to observe, I was condemned for reading mass, hearing confessions, administring the sacraments, anointing the sick, christening, marrying, preaching: As for reading the mass, it was the old, and still is, the accustomed and S laudable liturgy of the holy church; and all the other acts, which are acts of religion, tending to the worship of God; and for this dying, I die for religion. Moreover know,that when last May I was in London under examination concerning the plot, a prime examinant told me, that to save my life and increase my fortunes, I must make some discovery of the plot, or conform; discover plot I could not, for I knew of none; conform I would not, because it was against my conscience; then by consequence I must die, and so now dying, I die for conscience and religion; and dying upon such good scores, as far as human frailty permits, I die with alacrity interior and exterior; from the abundance of the heart, let not only mouths, but faces also speak. Here, methinks, I feel flesh and blood ready to burst into loud cries, tooth for tooth, eye for eye, blood for blood, life for life; No, crieth holy gospel, Forgive and you shall be forgiven; pray for those that persecute you; love your enemies; and I profess myself a child of the gospel, and the gospel I obey. Whomever, present or absent,I have ever offended, I humbly desire, them to forgive me; as for my enemies, had I as many hearts as I have fingers, with all those hearts would I forgive my enemies, at leastwise, with all that single heart I have, I freely forgive them all, my neighbours that betrayed me, the persons that took me, the justices that committed me, the witnesses that proved against me, the jury that found me, the judge that condemned me, and others whoever, that out of malice or zeal, covertly or openly, have been contributive to my condemnation; but singularly and especially, I forgive my capital persecutor, who hath been so long thirsting after my blood; from my soul I forgive him, and wish his soul so well, that were it in my power, I would seat him a seraphim'in heaven, and I pray for them in the Janguage of glorious St. Stephen the protomartyr; Lord, lay not this sin unto them; or bet ter yer, in the style of our great master, Christ himself, Father forgive them, they know not what they do. And with reason I love them also; for though they have done themselves a vast soul-prejudice, yet they have done me an incomparable favour, which I shall eternally acknowledge; but chiefly I love them for his sake, who said, Love your enemies; and in testimony of my love I wish them, and it is the best of wishes, from the center of my soul, I wish them a good eternity. O eternity, eternity! How momentanean are the glorious riches, and pleasures of this world! and how desirable art thou, endless eternity! And for my said enemies attaining thereunto I humbly beseech God to give them the grace of true repentance, before they and this world part. Next to my enemies, give me leave to lift up my eyes, hands, and heart to heaven, and drop some few words of advice unto, and for my friends, as well those present as absent. Friends, fear God, honour your king, be firm in your faith, avoid mortal sin, by frequenting the sacraments of holy church, patiently bear your persecutions and afflictions, forgive your enemies, your sufferings are great; I say be firm in your faith to the end, yea, even to death, then shall ye heap unto yourselves celestial treasures in the heavenly Jerusalem, where no thief robbeth, no moth eateth, and no rust consumeth; and have that blessed saying of the blessed St. Peter, prince of the apostles, always in your memory, which I heartily recommend unto you, viz. Let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief, but if as a christian let him not be ashamed, but glorify God in his name. Now it is high time I make my addresses to heaven, and supplicate the divine goodness in my own behalf, by some few short and cordial ejaculations of prayer. His prayers being ended, he was turned off. 250. The Trial of NATHANAEL READING,* esq. for a Trespass and Misdemeanor: 31 CHARLES II. A. D. 1679. ON Wednesday the 16th of April, 1679, his miner that hath been read, to issue out; and majesty's Commissioners of Oyer and Terminer the court thereby hath authority to inquire of, did meet at Westminster-hall, in the court of hear and determine several other offences: King's-bench, when and where the commission yet, at this present, you shall have no other in was read and proclamation for attendance be-charge than the particular offence recited in ing made, and the grand jury sworn, sir James Butler, her majesty's Attorney General, and chief commissioner that then appeared, gave them their Charge thus: Gentlemen, His majesty, upon the Address of the honourable House of Commons, hath been pleased to give order for this commission of Oyer and Ter *He had been secretary to Massianello, at the insurrection at Naples, about thirty years before. His name occurs at p. 1155, of vol. 5. the Indictment in my hand. It is a crime of an unusual and rare nature: the indictment is against Nathanael Reading; it sets forth the plot against the king, the government and the religion established here by law, the horrid and pernicious mischiefs and consequences of it: it sets forth likewise, that several persons, (and names them) as Coleman, Ireland and Grove, were tried, condemned, and executed for the same: that several lords in the Tower do stand impeached in parliament of the said hightreason, and other high-crimes and misde |