<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2010-01-06</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Megan Marion</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B091013.pdcc.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A81616">
<STC T="W">d188a</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">45097651</BIBNO>
<VID>171255</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="license">
<PB REF="1"><!-- PDF PAGE 129 -->
<PB REF="1"><!-- PDF PAGE 129 -->
<PB REF="2"><!-- PDF PAGE 130 -->
<P>I Appoint <HI>Thomas Newcomb,</HI> and <HI>Henry Hills,</HI> to Print this Infor|mation, According to the Order of the HOUSE of COMMONS; And that no other Per&s;on pre&s;ume to Print the &s;ame. <HI>Novemb.</HI> 10^t^h. 1680.</P>
<P>Wi WILLIAMS, <HI>Speaker.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="5" REF="2"><!-- PDF PAGE 130 -->
<HEAD>THE INFORMATION OF <HI>THOMAS DANGERFIELD</HI> GENT.</HEAD>
<DIV2 TYPE="testimony">
<HEAD>About the Months of <HI>September</HI> or <HI>October 1679.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_WHen Mrs. <HI>Cellier</HI> and my &s;elf waited on the Lord <HI>Peter|borough,</HI> to be Introduced to his Highne&s;s the Duke of <HI>York,</HI> his Lord&s;hip enquired of me, If the Lady <HI>Powis</HI> had given meany directions how to Di&s;cour&s;e the Duke? I re|plyed, She had. Then he de&s;ired to know what they were. Upon which I &s;hewed his Lord&s;hip a lit|tle Book; in which was contained a Scheme, and the pretended Di&s;covery which I had made in the Presbyterian Plot. Which Book his Lord|&s;hip carefully peru&s;ed, and finding &s;ome omi&s;&s;i|on
<PB N="6" REF="3"><!-- PDF PAGE 131 -->therein, he ordered me to Write, while his Lord&s;hip did Dictate to me the&s;e words, <HI>viz.</HI> That the Presbyterian Party intended to make an In|&s;urrection in the North, and &s;o to joyn with an Army of the Scots. Immediately after this his Lord&s;hip took us into the Dukes Clo&s;et (at <HI>White|hall</HI>) where we both ki&s;&s;ed his hand: and me he took from the ground (for I was kneeling.) Then I gave his Highne&s;s the aforementioned little Book, which he, after &s;ome &s;hort peru&s;al thereof&punc; thanked me for: and al&s;o for my diligence in the Catholick Cau&s;e: Did advi&s;e me to go on, and wi&s;hed good &s;ucce&s;s to all my Undertakings: Ad|ding in the&s;e very words, <HI>viz.</HI> That the Presbyte|rian Plot was a thing of mo&s;t mighty con&s;equence, and if well managed, would be very Conducible to the Safety of the Catholick Cau&s;e: and I do not que&s;tion but the Effects of it will an&s;wer our Expectation, e&s;pecially in the Northern parts: where I am well a&s;&s;ured the Major Part of the Gentry are my Friends, and have given &s;ufficient Demon&s;tration of their affections to me, as al&s;o of their intentions to pro&s;ecute this Presbyterian Plot to the utmo&s;t; for they are no Strangers to the De|&s;ign.</P>
<P>Immediately after this his Highne&s;s ordered that Mrs. <HI>Cellier</HI> and my &s;elf (in the hearing of the Lord <HI>Peterborough,</HI> who was privy to the whole Di&s;cour&s;e) to be very careful of what we Com|municated to the per&s;ons who were to be the Wit|ne&s;&s;es in that new Plot, le&s;t we &s;hould be caught in the Subornation, and &s;o bring a terrible Odium upon the Catholicks, and make our &s;elves uncapable of any further Service. After this the
<PB N="7" REF="3"><!-- PDF PAGE 131 -->Duke informed us, That in a Month or two's time the Commi&s;&s;ions would be ready: but or|dered us in the mean time to bring our part to bear with the Commi&s;&s;ions: and particularly or|dered me to find out &s;ome per&s;ons (as there was enough &s;uch among the Catholicks, as well as el&s;e|where) which were fit to be Tru&s;ted, and that &s;hould accept of &s;uch Commi&s;&s;ions, which &s;hould be delivered them by a per&s;on appointed for that purpo&s;e, but not to be known to them to be any other but a Presbyterian: So that when occa&s;ion &s;hould require, they might, together with tho&s;e which we then had, be ready to &s;wear in the Plot, and that the Presbyterians were rai&s;ing Forces a|gain&s;t the King and Government, and had given our Commi&s;&s;ions to that purpo&s;e. And in order to this, I did in &s;ome &s;hort time after, procure one <HI>Bed|ford, Curtice, Grey, Hill, Hopkins,</HI> and others, to accept of &s;uch Commi&s;&s;ions, when they &s;hould be ready: who&s;e bu&s;ine&s;s in the mean time was, to &s;pread reports in the Coffee-hou&s;es, That the Popi&s;h Plot was a Contrivance of the Presbyterians, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Now for our encouragement in the pro&s;ecuti|on of that Sham-Plot, the Duke promi&s;ed that he would take care that Money &s;hould not be want|ing: but ordered us to u&s;e all the expedition the thing would allow, to make a Di&s;covery thereof to the King. After which the Duke &s;aid, The Catholick Party would be ea&s;ed of the Charge, in regard he was &s;ure it would be defrayed &s;ome other way.</P>
<P>Then the Duke made divers Vows, and bitter Execrations, to &s;tand by us in the thing: and en|gaged on his Honour to be our Rewarder. Ad|ding,
<PB N="8" REF="4"><!-- PDF PAGE 132 -->That &s;uch Con&s;iderable Services were not to be &s;lighted: and further promi&s;ed, that to who&s;e lot &s;oever it &s;hould happen to be impri&s;o|ned, according to their fidelity and &s;tedfa&s;tne&s;s in the Cau&s;e, &s;o much the more &s;hould their Re|ward be augmented: and that all care po&s;&s;ible &s;hould be u&s;ed to &s;upport and pre&s;erve them: but particularly de&s;iring me to keep up to the cou|ragious and active Character which his Highne&s;s had heard of me. All which I promi&s;ed to do. Whereupon we withdrew to the Lord <HI>Peterboroughs</HI> Lodging, where we continued till his Lord&s;hip had Introduced Sir <HI>Robert Peyton</HI> to the Duke. Which being done, his Lord&s;hip left them toge|ther, as he &s;aid, and came to us: where among other Di&s;cour&s;e his Lord&s;hip told me; I had a great opportunity to make my Fortune what I would my &s;elf, if I would but follow the advice of his Ma&s;ter the Duke of <HI>York,</HI> who, as his Lord&s;hip &s;aid, would certainly be my King in a very &s;hort time. Adding, that I mu&s;t be re&s;o|lute in my undertakings: For, &s;aid he, the Duke much affects Re&s;olution, but hates mortally the timorous man.</P>
<P>Then I an&s;wered his Lord&s;hip, That I valued not my Life, provided, to lo&s;e it would be &s;ervice|able to the Duke's Intere&s;t. At which Expre&s;&s;ion he &s;eemed fully &s;atisfied; and from that time called me Captain <HI>Willoughby:</HI> and at our coming away, his Lord&s;hip gave particular order to his Servants, That at what time &s;oever, day, or night, either Mrs. <HI>Cellier,</HI> or my &s;elf, &s;hould come to &s;peak with his Lord&s;hip, we &s;hould be forthwith admitted. And then we parted.</P>
<PB N="9" REF="4"><!-- PDF PAGE 132 -->
<P>Some &s;hort time after, I went to wait on his Lord&s;hip from the Lady <HI>Powis,</HI> at midnight, to de|&s;ire him to move the Duke, to get me with all expedition to the King: for then I was ready.</P>
<P>About four days after this, his Lord&s;hip &s;ent for me, and took me to the Duke again (who was in his Clo&s;et at <HI>Whitehall</HI>) and the Duke told me, I mu&s;t prepare my &s;elf to wait on the King, to give His Maje&s;ty a more particular Account of the Presbyterian Plot than what the little Book made mention of, (which Book, the Duke &s;aid, he had given to the King) and that he had &s;o ordered the matter, that I &s;hould be furni&s;hed with Money, to enable me in the Pro&s;ecution thereof. But his Highne&s;s charged me to con&s;ider well my Story, before I waited on the King.</P>
<P>Then the Duke told me, I had gained, by my Diligence, a good Reputation among the Catho|licks, and that I &s;hould highly merit by my Ser|vices to that Cau&s;e: adding, That I &s;hould in a &s;hort time &s;ee the Catholick Religion flouri&s;h in the&s;e Kingdoms; and Here&s;ie torn up by the roots: And that he had heard of the Propo&s;al which had been made me by the Lords, <HI>Powis,</HI> and <HI>Arundel,</HI> about Taking off the King, and of my refu&s;al; as al&s;o of what I had accepted, touching my Lord <HI>Shaftsbury,</HI> and of all my Tran&s;actions in the Presbyterian Plot: &s;aying in the&s;e very words, <HI>viz.</HI> If you value the Religion you profe&s;s, my Intere&s;t, (as you &s;ay you do) and your own future Happi|ne&s;s, take my Advice, and depend upon my Ho|nour and Intere&s;t for your Advancement: For, Sir, you look like a Man of Courage and Wit:
<PB N="10" REF="5"><!-- PDF PAGE 133 -->therefore le&s;s Di&s;cour&s;e may &s;erve with you than another: So that if you will but move by the Mea&s;ures which I will give you, you &s;hall not only e&s;cape with &s;afety, but be rewarded according to the greatne&s;s of your Actions.</P>
<P>To all this I replied, I would &s;tand and fall in the Defence of the Roman Catholick Religion, and his Highne&s;s Service; and was not a little concerned for my refu&s;ing to kill the King, whom I was then well &s;atisfied by my Gho&s;tly Father, &s;tood con|demned as an Heretick. But this I did offer, That if his Highne&s;s would Command me to the At|tempt, I would not fail either to accompli&s;h it, or lo&s;e my Life.</P>
<P>Upon which the Duke gave me Twenty Gui|neys, and &s;aid, If I would be but vigorous in what I had undertaken already, he would &s;o order it, that my Life &s;hould not be in the lea&s;t danger: adding in the&s;e words, <HI>viz.</HI> We are not to have Men taken in &s;uch daring Actions, but to have them make an effectual Di&s;patch, and be gone, Upon which I took my leave.</P>
<P>Some &s;hort time after this, when I was ready to convey the Letters into Colonel <HI>Man&s;el</HI>'s Chamber, I went to the Lord <HI>Peterborough,</HI> who brought me to the Duke, to whom I told, how I was ready to fix the Letters in the Colonel's Chamber. To which his Highne&s;s an&s;wered, I mu&s;t make ha&s;te, that I might be Impowered to make a general Search of the like nature. For, &s;aid the Duke in the&s;e words, <HI>viz.</HI> Since I &s;aw you la&s;t, the Lady <HI>Powis</HI> has informed me, That there are abundance of Letters and Witne&s;&s;es ready: &s;o that 'tis now high time to begin. By this time there was &s;ome great
<PB N="11" REF="5"><!-- PDF PAGE 133 -->Man come to wait on the Duke, &s;o I withdrew.</P>
<P>About four days after this; when I had been pre&s;&s;ing earne&s;tly with Mr. Secretary <HI>Coventry,</HI> for a Warrant, and could not prevail, I went to the Lord <HI>Peterborough</HI>'s, and did de&s;ire his Lord&s;hip to make application to the Duke, to u&s;e &s;ome means for a Warrant. To which his Lord&s;hip an&s;wered, 'Twas my fault there was not a Warrant granted, and that the Duke was &s;en&s;ible of my neglecting to make an Affidavit. So that now he did begin to doubt my Courage.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Thomas Dangerfield.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="testimony">
<PB N="12" REF="6"><!-- PDF PAGE 134 -->
<HEAD>In and about the Months of <HI>June, July</HI> or <HI>Augu&s;t 1679,</HI></HEAD>
<P>THe Counte&s;s of <HI>Powis</HI> &s;ent me with a Letter to the Lord Privy Seal, who was then at his Lord&s;hips hou&s;e in <HI>Ken&s;ington:</HI> but the Contents of the Let|ter I remember not, more than that it was to pray &s;ome favour in the behalf of one <HI>Ander&s;on</HI> alias <HI>Mun|&s;on,</HI> a Prie&s;t, and then in the <HI>Kings Bench,</HI> and was reported to know &s;omething of the Plot. Which Papers contained matter of Fact, drawn up to ren|der <HI>Strouds</HI> Te&s;timony invalid, in ca&s;e he &s;hould make any Di&s;covery. And by my Ladies order I was to pray his Lord&s;hip to take the Papers: &s;o that if <HI>Stroud</HI> &s;hould be &s;ent for on Examination before the Council, that his Lord&s;hip would produce them to &s;top his Evidence: Which his Lord&s;hip promi&s;ed to do. But <HI>Stroud</HI> was not &s;ent for, and &s;o the Papers were of no u&s;e: but I &s;uppo&s;e they may &s;till remain with his Lord&s;hip.</P>
<P>At the &s;ame time I did, by Order from the Lady <HI>Powis,</HI> inform his Lord&s;hip, That the Presby|terian Plot would be ready for Di&s;covery in a Months time. To which his Lord&s;hip an&s;wered, that I &s;hould tell the Lady <HI>Powis,</HI> He was of opini|on that a Month would be too &s;oon, in regard things then moved with too much violence, for &s;uch an Affair to have any Succe&s;s. So I took my leave.</P>
<PB N="13" REF="6"><!-- PDF PAGE 134 -->
<P>Some &s;hort time after I went, by the Lord <HI>Powis</HI>'s Order, with another Letter to his Lor&s;hip; the Contents of which I never knew: But was ordered to acquaint his Lord&s;hip, That the Presbyterian Plot &s;till went on, and that we had divers Letters and Witne&s;&s;es ready, to lay open the matter, when it &s;hould be thought fit. To which his Lord&s;hip an&s;wered, He feared the Lords in the <HI>Tower</HI> were too vigorous in that De&s;ign: but promi&s;ed, when the rigorous Pro&s;ecution again&s;t the Catholicks were &s;omewhat abated, he did intend to move it to the King and Council. Adding, That if things of that nature were but well timed, they could not fail of Succe&s;s. So I took my leave.</P>
<P>Some time after, Mi&s;tre&s;s <HI>Cellier</HI> and my &s;elf went to wait on his Lord&s;hip at <HI>Ken&s;ington;</HI> where we both had admittance. Then 'twas Mi&s;tre&s;s <HI>Cellier,</HI> in my hearing, informed his Lord&s;hip, That the came in the name of her Great Ma&s;ter (the Duke of <HI>York</HI>) and at the mo&s;t earne&s;t reque&s;t of the Lords in the <HI>Tower,</HI> to pray his Lord&s;hip to u&s;e &s;ome means, that the Proceedings again&s;t the Catholicks might be more ea&s;ie, and that the Pre&s;|byterian Plot might be di&s;covered. Then his Lord&s;hip de&s;ired her to let the Lords in the <HI>Tower</HI> know, that he was not idle in the Con&s;idering their Safety: For, added his Lord&s;hip, in the&s;e words, I have my &s;elf di&s;cour&s;ed lately with all the great Mini&s;ters of our party, and my Lord <HI>Peterborough</HI> has done the &s;ame, and we both find there is fa|vour intended: but we mu&s;t wait the time: For things of that nature mu&s;t be moved gently, or the whole Royal Party may be de&s;troyed at once, for there are many eyes upon us.</P>
<PB N="14" REF="7"><!-- PDF PAGE 135 -->
<P>Then Mi&s;tre&s;s <HI>Cellier</HI> informed his Lord&s;hip, That Sir <HI>George Wakemans</HI> Trial had broken the Ice, and of the great difficulty there was in prevailing with the Lord C. J. to come over: and al&s;o of the Meet|ing that was between the Lady <HI>Powis</HI> and the Lord C. J. To which his Lord&s;hip replied, That the Lord C. J. had taken more time to Con&s;ider of his part, than Five other far greater men had done (who they were I know not) and that his Lord|&s;hip was forc'd to &s;hew the Lord C. J. the Duke of <HI>Yorks</HI> Letter, before he would believe any thing. Nay, &s;aid his Lor&s;hip, notwith&s;tanding this I was forc'd to get a particular Letter &s;ent him from the Duke, before he would make any promi&s;e. Truly, Madam, &s;aid his Lord&s;hip, 'tis no &s;mall pains I take to &s;erve the Duke, and their Lord&s;hips, and that you may a&s;&s;ure them.</P>
<P>Then Mi&s;tre&s;s <HI>Cellier</HI> acquainted his Lord&s;hip, That <HI>Dugdale</HI> was come about, and intended to throw him&s;elf at the Dukes feet, with a Recantati|on of all that he had &s;worn in the Plot. And, &s;aid &s;he, I am, in the name of the Lords, to pray your Lord&s;hip he may be &s;ecured in your hou&s;e, as be|ing a place more proper than any other. To this his Lord&s;hip an&s;wered, He was glad to hear of Mr. <HI>Dugdale</HI>'s ingenuity in that Affair, and did a&s;|&s;ure Mrs. <HI>Cellier,</HI> that <HI>Dugdale</HI> &s;hould be enter|tained in his Hou&s;&s;e, and that his Lord&s;hip's Prie&s;t &s;hould be his Companion: &s;o that it &s;hould be impo&s;&s;ible for him to do any more mi&s;chief. But his Lord&s;hip de&s;ired &s;he would tell the Lords, They mu&s;t u&s;e all the means ima|ginable to get him &s;ent beyond Sea, le&s;t a too &s;trict Enquiry &s;hould be made after him.
<PB N="15" REF="7"><!-- PDF PAGE 135 -->To which Mrs. <HI>Cellier</HI> replied thus; My Lord, we do not intend he &s;hall &s;tay in your Lord&s;hip's Hou&s;e above Nine or Ten days: for though he mu&s;t do us Service by a general Recantation, yet we can never think him &s;afe, till we have got him into the Inqui&s;ition: for &s;uch per&s;ons are to be encou|raged, not tru&s;ted. So upon this his Lord&s;hip &s;ent a Compliment to the Lords in the Tower, and &s;o we came away.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Thomas Dangerfield.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE><HI>Jurat</HI> <DATE>vice&s;imo die Octobris, 1680.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
<CLOSER><SIGNED><HI>Coram nobis</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>Will. Roberts.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Will. Pulteney.</ITEM>
</LIST></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
