Auxiliaries beforementioned, depended the whole Fortune of the Romish Cause, Popery being wholly to be established by Military Execution. And yet, as the Devil and the Doctor would have it, Pickering and Groves, as you have been. told before, had been feven Years together at the King's very Throat; nay and the great Rewards of 1500l. and 30,000 Maffes, together with Pickering's fevere Back fide Caftigation, were Motives and Spurs to haften and expedite the future Performance of these two terrible fcrewed Gunners. And yet here was the King to have been fhot the very next Moment (if poffible) and all the while the very Commiffions were not given out till fome Months after, for the Raifing the Army fo immediately neceffary to profecute the Blow after the King's Difpatch: Now in the Name of Dulness where were our Wits when all this hideous Piece of Apocrypha was current Gospel amongst us?

And Laftly, To bring the Foreign Heroes into Play too, Oates fwears that upon fubduing of England in Manner aforefaid, the French were to be Lords of the Afcendant, the Government of England being defigned to have devolved into their Hands. And pray mark the Riddle of the Business-Here was the Spanish King, in the Year 1678, lending no less a Body of Men than Thirtythousand fighting Pilgrims, to help to establish the French King in the Monarchy of England, at the very fame Time that he was in actual War against him, and an utter Enemy to France, and fo harrefs'd by the French, that he was courting almost all Christendom against him, and imploring all Foreign Aids and Alliances to oppofe him; yes, tho' he had already loft fo large and fo important a Part of his own Country to him, and was not over able with his best Strength to defend the rest from him; yet is this Spanish King forfooth (if Oates's Evidence will hold water) aiding and affifting the French King with so vaft a Succour, for the Enlarging the very Victories of his moft hated Enemy by fo prodigious an Acquifition as the Imperial Diadem of England. Oh! the Miracles of a Romish Plot, and the more Miraculous English Stomachs to digeft it!

This, Reader, is the great and dreadful Pop fb Bug-bear, that once had Power to fright three Kingdoms out of their Senfes, and this the Saviour of the Nation, that fo many almost proftrate Knees, and up-lifted Hands, entertained and faluted with no lefs than Palm-Branches and Hofannabs. The Particularifing of all the Nonfenfical Incongruities and Contradictions thro' the whole Legend of his Difcovery, fuch as his fwearing at one Trial he was perverted to the Romish Religion, and at another that he was ftill a Proteftant, and only play'd the Hypocrite amongst the Papists, to learn their Secrets, and to detect their Plots And then his fwearing before the Council, that he knew not Coleman, when brought Face to Face before him, and yet at his Trial to fwear he was his moft intimate Acquaintance, and Co-plotter in the whole Business of the four Irish Ruffians; and confequently was the main Evidence that hanged him: But most of all, this his moft egregious Perjury, in fwearing before the House of Lords, that he had difcovered the whole Plot, and had not one Perfon more to accufe, than what he had named and impeached before; and yet, after all this, to bring the very Queen into the Confpiracy to poifon the King; a Princess of that immaculate Virtue, and unexampled Piety, into fo damnable and hellifh a Defign; that most arrogant of Impoftures and Villainies, as far from the very Shadow of Truth, as the Monster that uttered it is from Heaven: The Particularifing, I fay, of all the egregious and impudent VOL. III. Falfities,

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Falfities, thro' his whole Fardle of Narratives, is a Work too long and tedious. Befides, the Mystery of Iniquity (Thanks be to Heaven) is already made so tranfparent almoft to all Eyes and Understandings, that it is almost impoffible that any thing but willful and hardned Blindness itself cannot plainly fee through it. The only and laft, tho' feeble Argument that his Defenders (if it's poffible he can have any left) can make for him, is to fay: How is it poffible that all his Discovery should be fuch errant Forgery and Impofture, and yet be fo univerfally believed, even by the most unanimous and fo long Affent of the greatest and most fenfible Men of the whole Kingdom? Why truly, were not an Englishman's Belief one of the greateft Prodigies fince the Flood, this might be much wondered at. And truly it would appear almoft ftupendous, how almost a whole Nation fhould be fo befotted, had not woeful Experience convinced, that this is the fecond notorious Blot in our English Scutcheon. For let us look back into the difmal Fears and Jealoufies in the Reign of King Charles I. and we fhall find the felf-fame Phantom govern'd then too; for juft fuch another as fenfelefs and as ridiculous imaginary Plot of fetting up Popery and arbitrary Power, O monftrum horrendum! blew Three Kingdoms into a Flame; and from the difmal Effects of that Epidemical Lunacy has left that Stain upon the English Name and Reputation abroad in the World, that not whole Ages will wafh off. And truly we have no Excufe left, why we should be fo grofly imposed upon again, and run into a fecond as damnable an Error as the first, but frankly confeffing, that the Frenzy of our Fathers is Hereditary, and nothing but their Madness running in our Blood has been the Caufe of fo enormous a Folly; the extravagant Apprehenfions of the Danger of Popery being that natural Imperfection, that the Generality of Englishmen are as much born to, as Men are to a Club-foot, or a Hunch-back, or any other Deformity, and (really) which they are almost as hardly to be cured of.

And therefore to draw to an End with our Swearing-Mafter Titus, that hellish Incendiary, and chief vifible Original of our fo many Years Distractions, his Sentence, though it feem fevere, is much less than he deferves ; our English Law-makers, as never imagining the Poffibility of fo unexampled an Offender, having provided no Punishment equal to the Demerits of fuch unprecedented Villainy.

BRIEF REFLECTIONS upon the Inconveniencies attending willful and malicious Forgery and Perjury: With fome Reasons why fuch Crimes ought to be made Felony. 1685.

T

HESE two pernicious and infeparable Companions, Forgery and Perjury, like poisonous Vermine, have often fucked out and destroyed the very Juice and Beauty of many flourishing Flowers; nor hath the Royal Oak escaped being encompaffed about with the malignant Ivy of those

horrid

horrid Crimes, even to that dangerous Degree of Rebels gaining a Point almost fit for laying their fatal Axes to the Root of that Sacred Tree.

To difcourfe of the late grand Impoftors of State, or their flagitious Practices, would be a Task too tedious for me, or my prefent Purpose; and only fit for an Age more stupid, and lefs capable of Obfervation and rational Sentiments

than this.

Their unparallel'd Villanies are now become too apparent to every difcerning Eye, either to be queftioned or doubted; for 'tis most certain, that the extravagant Pranks and Projects of thofe Monsters still beat very convincingly intense upon the Nerves and intellectual Parts of all truly loyal and unprejudiced Subjects, who now perhaps cannot but reckon it a very great Blemish to the English Air, that ever fuch Mifcreants should have the Happiness of breathing in it.

And if there be any Reafon to find fault with the Imperfection or Deficiency of the Statute-Laws of this Realm in Criminal Cafes (which undoubtedly are otherwise the best and most rational Laws in the World) 'tis principally because there are none yet fevere enough against the pernicious and dangerous Crimes of willful Forgery and Perjury.

For if a Theif fteal a Horse or a Mare, or but the Value of two or three Shillings, it is Felony, and by the Law he ought to die for that Offence; but if a Pack of Rogues join together, and by Forgery and Perjury ruin Men in their Reputations and Eftates, they are ufually only exalted to ftand in the Pillory, or fined, or imprifoned for it; which minute Punishment feldom produces any other Effect than barely to make the Criminal the more incorrigible, and proves many times but as Sauce to craving Stomachs, preparing them the better to devour and confume the next Dainties they can meet with, never fcrupling to make a Prey of Mens Lives and Fortunes, though the ungodly and illegal Difinheriting of Kings, the Unhinging of Monarchy, and the utter Devaftation and Destruction of Kingdoms, Societies, and Families, fhould inevitably fall into the Bargain; and therefore if an Argument drawn ab inconvenienti (which is generally held to be very forceable) ought to have any Power in any Cafe, certainly it ought to have fo in this, to make willful and malicious Forgery and Perjury, Felony: For it's almost impoffible to prove (suppose what you will) that greater Inconveniencies will attend the making of fuch Crimes Felony, than have attended, and may be feared will attend, the not making of them fo.

That many particular Perfons have feverely fmarted in their Reputations and Eftates, as well as the Kingdom in general, by Forgery and Perjury, 'tis prefumed will not be denied by any judicious, obferving, and thoughtful Man : Nor durft I prefume any Man fo totally unacquainted with the Affairs of this World, but either he knows or hath heard what Havock and Mifchief thofe two abominable and destructive Sins have made amongst the Widows and Orphans of this Age.

However, that you may be furnished with fome few fresh Inflances of that kind (for to give you all, as it is impoffible, fo it were fitter for a large Volume than the narrow Compafs of a Sheet of Paper) I am obliged to affure you (particular Inftances of Matter of Fact being the moft cogent and prevailing Arguments) that two Perfons of good Quality and Reputation have been lately damnified

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damnified and prejudiced in their Eftates, to the Value of at leaft 3000 1. in different Cafes, by the Male-contrivance and falfe Oaths of common Hackneyfwearers and Knights of the Poft, who with their Confederates and Abettors (after many Years Profecution, in forma pauperis of the Perfons and Executors whom they have fo grofly abufed and oppreffed, are at laft found out and detected; and now it appears, that the Deeds and Inftruments in Writing by them fet up (and whereon Verdicts and Judgments at Law for great Sums of Money were obtained) were actually forged feveral Months after the Deaths of the Perfons and Teftators, whofe Deeds they were pretended to be, though fo cunningly and artificially contrived, as to bear Date many Years before their Decease. And one of the principal Forgers (being ferved with Procefs to appear and answer to an Information of Forgery and Perjury lately exhibited against him) foon after, and before Juftice could come to beftow upon him his due Reward, died: But one of his Champions and Brother Confederates in that horrid Iniquity, haveing furvived him, is now under Profecution for the fame Crimes, which undoubtedly will be fo fully and plainly proved, that 'twill be almoft impoffible any thing fhould be wanting to do him Right, fave only feverer Laws for his Punishment; for fuch hath been his Confidence (as though inexpreffible Im pudence were one of the leaft Ingredients in the Compofition of his Rogueries) that he hath confeffed that he hath been hired and fuborned to swear falfly for Money, and even fince the Information exhibited against him hath boldly affirmed, that he neither regarded nor valued a Pillory, declaring that better Men than himself were daily brought thither, and that 'twas but to have a little Patience for an Hour or two, and the whole Bufinefs would foon receive a Determination, and be over, with as much Eafe and little Trouble as a nine Days Wonder; which Language, without Question, is very agreeable to the rest of his wicked Crew: So that 'tis plain the Pettinefs of the Punishment, ufually inAlicted upon fuch Offenders, makes them perfift the more obftinately in the Practice of their black and hellish Crimes. And therefore 'tis conceived, that the most probable Way to abate their Confidence and affwage their Courage, is to make and execute more ftrict Laws against them, than there are yet in being. Befides, 'tis credibly reported, that this famous Artift (for all Sorts of notorious Contrivances in Mischiefs) hath as great Reputation for his Wit and Cunning in Forgery, amongst all the Rogues and Knights of the Poft about this Town, as ever any Criminal had that was hanged at Tyburn, boasting that he could fo exactly counterfeit the Hand-writing of Mens Names, that it was impoffible to find out the Cheat, unless the Perfons whofe Names were fo counterfeited (he ufually dealing with the Names of dead Men) fhould arife out of their Graves, and fwear that 'twas none of their own Hand-writing. And that he formerly got by his fubtile Tricks at least 100 l. per Annum from the Catholicks; it being his Practice (about fix or feven Years fince) to forge Writs against several Catholicks of good Quality, privately pretending that the fame Writs were regu larly iffued against them upon Penal Statutes out of the Courts of WestminsterHall, and thereby affrighted them (he being then a common Informer) into fecret Agreements to pay him feveral Sums of Money; whereas in Truth there were never any fuch Writs or Procefs granted out against those Persons from whom he thus vexatiously extorted Money.

But

But to refume, and give you one or two Inftances more for all the rest of the great Inconveniencies attending the Faintness and Deficiency of our Statute Laws (in point of Punishment) against willful and malicious Forgery and Perjury.

very

If any Perfon lie in wait to wound or deface another, or if a Highway-man rob you (though only of your travelling Coin) he becomes thereby guilty of Felony, and according to Statute Law he ought to be hang'd for it; befides, you have your Remedy by the Statute (in the laft Cafe made and provided) to recover of the Hundred wherein you were rob'd, the Value of all that was fo taken from you: And this is concluded (as indeed it is) to be both reasonable and juft. But if a Knight of the Poft (by premeditated and malicious Forgery and Perjury) ruin and undo honeft Men and their Families, by taking away and destroying both their Lives and Fortunes at once (as too often by fad and lamentable Experience it hath happened) yet in this Cafe (by the Statute Laws, as now they are) there is no Provifion made, either to punish the malicious perjured Perfon with Death, as a juft Recompence and Satisfaction to the Law of God, for fhedding innocent Blood, or to fubject his Estate (if he have any) to make Reftitution to the injured Perfon's Family, for the Lofs and Ruin of his; which (prima facie, besides the ill Confequences of it) feems to be a fevere and hard Cafe. And wherein, in this Cafe, doth that juft Proportion lie (which ought to be) between the Punishment and the Crime? Or, how is the Punishment proportionable to the Offences, in the Cafes of willful Forgery and Perjury? when, after a Man fhall be thereby utterly ruined and undone, he fhall have no other Remedy or Satisfaction left, but (at the rate of great Trouble and Expence) the empty Shouts and Laughter of the Mobile and Rabble, with (it may be) the unwarrantable Difcharge of a few Vollies of rotten Oranges and Eggs to the profligate and incorrigible Villain that stands in the Pillory. 'Tis therefore (and for other weighty Reasons, too tedious here to be expreffed) high Time (with Submiffion to better Judgments) both with respect to his Majefty's Interest, and the Safety and Security of his Kingdoms and People, that fuch Inconveniences fhould be remedy'd and redrefs'd, and ftricter Laws made (with greater Punishments than yet there are) against fuch Offenders; for if it be contrary to Principles of Juftice and Reason, that fuch Tranfgreffors fhould be exempt from Punishments adequate to their Crimes, then 'tis both reasonable and just that a Law fhould be made, to punish them according to their Demerits; for Ratio eft Anima Legis.

And in regard the grand Council of this Nation (by his Majefty's fpecial Grace and Favour) are now affembled in Parliament, 'tis humbly offered to the serious Confideration of his moft Sacred Majefty, and his great Council affembled, that fuch a Statute Law may be made this Seffion of Parliament, against willful Forgery and Perjury, as may not only tend to destroy that wicked Herd of perjured Satanifts in this Kingdom, but to relieve and discharge those that have been oppreffed by their malicious Contrivances, from the Judgments at Law obtained thereby; and curb their unbridled Infolences for the Time to come, with enacting that fuch Crimes fhall be made Felony, which certainly (notwithstanding what can be rationally objected against it, after ferious Confultation, and advifing with the learned in the Law concerning the due qualifying,

limitting