THE DEVIL of the Vault.  
OR, catholic-complotted Treason, lately discovered:  Persius. Sat. 2. Ocuruae in terris animae, & caelestium inanes! 
I. H.  
LONDON Printed by E. A. for Nathnaiell Butter, and are to be sold at his Shop near Paul's Churchyard, at Saint Austin's Gate. 1606.   

To the Reader  
MVst I have recourse in this apologetical Project; to intercept the snarling censure of calumniating Zoilus; and entreat him to excuse me for divulging this monstrous Subject in so naked a style, and unaccustomed strain: attribute it not altogether to the debility of my shallow capacity: for I could have invested it with more polished robes (without ostentation) had not the times brevity prohibited my invention, and other accidental occurrences intercepted my intention: therefore vouchsafe aequi bonique consulere: seeing but some three hours limitation was exhibited unto me (upon serious occasion) for the composing of it, and because Non vacat exiguum tempus, to supravise it, was so rough-hewn exposed to the Press.  
⸪  
Farewell. I. H.   

The unmasking of Murder: OR, catholic-intended Treason, lately discovered.  

COME thou obdurate flintly heart, with mournings melt in twain:  
To hear my weeping pen howl forth, Melpomens' Tragic strain:   

So dreadful, foul, Chymera-like, my Subject must appear:  
That heaven amazed, and hell disturbed, the earth shall quake with fear.   

If murder, furies, fates and death, beclad with bloody weed:  
Would all concur with Night's black hours, to plot some dismal deed:   

Let them but congregate themselves, and silent stand awhile:  
To draw deaths sampler from the sense, and sequel of my style.   

Exstracted from the Stratagems, of Pope and Popish name:  
That every letter in these lines, may Character his shame:   

Whose strict Religion grounded false, on proud rebellion stands;  
Which doth suborn his hellbred troop, with blood t'imbrue their hands.   

Whose faith's but faction, though over veiled, with holy pure pretence:  
Suggesting men with doctrines damned, sell souls for Peter pence.   

These Tygrish blood-sworne Jesuits, Spanized British slaves:  
Through errors dark poor Layicks lead, blindfold down to their graves.   

Ambition boiling in their breasts, like Nilus' raging flood:  
Bids them erect their cursed Church, on Prince and People's blood.   

Which they in each precedent age, have exercised so:  
As God and man, heaven, earth and all denounce against them, woe:   

Th' original of putrid Popes, from Murder first arose:  
For Phocas did Mauritius, by treacherous hand depose.   

And therein still persevered have, with Vultur-minded hate:  
Which would be to prolixious here, to recapitulate.   

Glance but on stories pristinate, (Murder in mirrors see:)  
And there perspicuously discern what Rome's religions be.   

No innovations, stratagems. Treachery 'gainst state or King,  
But Papists ranked on Death's black stage: as th' Actors still they bring.   

Yet Protestants they Tyrant's term, who laugh to see men bleed:  
Pursuing them, their corpse t'immure with Death's coal pallid weed.   

But near 'twas read that Catholic for Conscience lost his breath:  
But for Conspiracies 'gainst Kings, dragged to immediate death.   

Nor ever heard▪ that Protestant, his Prince's blood acquired:  
Nor by rebellious uproars rude, the Papists deaths conspired.   

For pregnant instance let's survey, those inbred broils of France:  
When they by barbarous butchery thought, their Papal Sect t'advance.   

Where cursed Guise rang deaths alarms, in deep of silent Night:  
Protesting to the Protestants, for God and them to fight.   

But his intent far dissonant, deprived them all of life:  
And massacred three thousand souls with Murders slaughtering knife.   

There Papists tossed harmelese babes, upon their spears sharp point:  
Then did their wombs eviscerate, and tear them joint from joint.   

Dragging their woeful screeching mothers, through every street by th'hair:  
Which to the near adjacent Isles, did argue wondrous fear.   

Now let's revert and home retire, to view Queen Mary's days:  
How Protestants by Popish plots, were murdered various ways.   

Some racked, exposed to torments strange, some judged to stroke of sword:  
And many sacred Martyrs burnt, for Christ's soul-saving word.   

Draw nearer to Eliza's Reign, (true Map of honoured fame:)  
Behold▪ how Papists sought her death, to their near▪ sleeping shame.   

By Phylters, Poisons, and by sword, they strove to work her end:  
But 'gainst them all, heavens powerful God, did still her life defend.   

Thus have they left in bypassed times such murderous marks behind them:  
As we in these our modern days, by strange experience find them.   

Now let the deeds of th'ugly dark, stand as examinate  
With each immane prestigious plot, which were unmasked of late.   

A Treachery so with blood replete, so Nero▪ like devised,  
As it through th''s immensall Globe, near can be equalized.   

A fact (for famous infamy,) that Cyclops doth excel:  
By Papists shame on earth begun, never to end in hell.   

Let Rumour vent his flatuous cheeks, with Fame's Pegatian speed:  
And through the spacious orb divulge their thrice accursed deed.   

From th'arctic, to th'antarctic Pole, sound this through th'earth's wide ears:  
Papists at once would have consumed Britain's King, Prince, and Peers.   

With mercy-wanting powder fired, to wound them with death's blow:  
Yet whence their fatal doom was drawn, not any wight should know.   

At that self time when this complot should executed be:  
The like accurrence wondrous was displayed in Germany.   

At Minden in Westphalia, (as Fame divulged of late)  
Th'Electors seven assemled were, to treat of public state:   

They were no sooner congregate, into the Council Hall,  
But strait a Sulphur-savoring air, their senses did appall.   

They with conjectures strange ytossed, with fear disammate:  
Proroaged their ponderous state-affairs, and rose from whence they sat.   

But ere these Dukes (drowned in suspense) could to their Courts repair;  
Their Senate house with thundering noise, was blown up in the air.   

Whereby th'adjacent strong-built Towers, were battered to the ground  
And men wrapped in Death's pallid robes, with mangled corpse were found.   

Thus (as a prisoned Lion starved runs roaring for his prey▪)  
The Papists through large Europe ranged, the Protestants to slay.   

Armed with impetuous Toad-swolne hate, diffused from murdering heart:  
For France with us and Germany, had shared deaths bloody part.   

Examplyfied by that complot, gainest Bourbon, the French King:  
Attempted by two Jesuits, as true report doth bring.   

Who lurking close on Paris bridge, like black incarnate Fiends;  
Their glowing eyes bewraying still, their murther-plotting minds.   

Attended there like fatal Owls, the Sergeants of stern death:  
As he with's courtly train should pass to stop his vital breath.   

No sooner he approached was, in pomp and regal state;  
But one of them with poisoned knife, struck him with furious hate.   

Yet man's great Governor did so, infatuate his arm:  
That penetracting through his clothes, on's body wrought no harm.   

But when this Devil quite frustrate saw, his bloody hopes success:  
Resolved t' have smoothed his horrid crime, with forged Frenzinesse.   

Thus deemed these cursed Catilines, t'affirm their vows with blood:  
And turn large Europe's silver streams to purple lakes of blood.   

But God his great'st omnipotence, in deepest danger shows:  
And metamorphized their designs, to their own overthrows.   

heaven's grant, that these perfidious plots, Pope's Period may portend:  
And that Rome's Hydra headed sect, may have conclusive end.   

The trivial Proverb then pronounced to murdering slaves; is this:  
Thou art almost so bloud-bestained, as a damned Papist is.   

Let Christian hearts hold them at gaze, as Night's Sunshining Owls,  
Are wondered at by warbling Birds, and light-embracing Fowls.   

What dismal terror had it been, to each teare-trickling eye:  
To view dismembered corpse dispersed, and dissipated lie.   

To see such royal and Noble shapes, blown up in th'whisking air,  
here arms, there legs, dissevered quite, lie mangled every where.   

Some stoned with fear, some raging run, some volley forth shrill cries:  
T'appall black hell, amaze the earth, and penetrate the skies.   

Some swift pursue wars murmuring noise, be clad with clashing arms:  
Some fired with fury entertained, Rebellions fierce alarms.   

Then many headed multitude, confused flock together:  
As though Devils, furies, grizzly ghosts, were all assembled thither.   

To see the strengthless suckling's brains, bedashed 'gainst flinty stones:  
And pampered palfrey's steel strong hooves, strike fire on dead men's bones.   

Some wounded deadly, dead-alive, living cry out for death:  
Some dying live, some living die, and gape for lifeless breath.   

Some groveling wallow on the earth, in blood half suffocate:  
And every street be purplefied with gores coagulate.   

To see stern Tyrants recking blades, bedide with Britain's blood:  
Hurling alongst the Channels, like a Scarlet coloured flood.   

To see mountains of slaughtered men, whose crimson-tonged wounds:  
'Gainst Papists, vengeance dread proclaim, with hideous dreadful sounds.   

Confusion with hell's horrid howls, denounce grim deaths alarms.  
While lean-faced Famine all ingirts, betwixt her icy arms.   

To view black Murder sans remorse, rush raging through each street:  
Massacring with impartial sword, the next he haps to meet.   

Then should each heau'n-affecting soul, by deep destruction fall:  
The Preacher, Saint, religious man, merchant, mechanic, all   

By Popish Sectaries, than should have, been dragged to deaths dark Caves:  
Matrons defiled, Virgins deflowered, by base unhallowed slaves.   

One scud through strange Meandred paths, to some vast vaulted Cave:  
Another climb some Rocky Mount, his desperate life to save.   

Others more stern, resolved t'endure, wars tyrannising blows:  
And all distract, environed with inexecrable woes.   

Then Britons Angel-garded gates, had opened to their hand:  
And entrance made for foreign powers, to ruinate the land.   

Then had these sight-deprived moles, (who undermined the ground:  
piece-meal to rive the Parliament, with sense appalling sound;)   

Brought Gospelers and Protestants, to undeserved shame:  
divulging by their forged declaims, that they had wrought the same.   

Thereby t'incur a general grace, to steal the vulgars' hearts:  
And by the blood of innnocence, to act deaths tragic parts.   

O Catesby, Pierey, hell's black fiends, these were your working frames▪  
So that each child doth screech with fear at mention of your names.   

These are the fatal accidents, that would from treason rise:  
Sought by the Papists damned designs and faithless fallacy.   

Thus would they gormandize man's blood, with unrelenting fell:  
Like Fiends roused from the tenebrous deeps, of Sulphur-flaming hell.   

And fraught with universal rage, 'gainst earth connexed in one:  
Typhous-like hoist Rock on Rock, Heavens' great King to dis-throne.   

But he that from the Chaos dark, produced both life and light:  
Did explicate their plots composed, in th'adumbragious Night.   

And urged them to reveal themselves, conceal they could not choose:  
For murder still itself condemns, fore truth stands out t'accuse.   

Remark how God, with semblant plagues, their crimes recaliate:  
Who did with hell's ambitious drugs, their souls inebriate.   

For they the death of Prince and Peer, by Powder did intend:  
So pitiless powder did conspire, their never ending end.   

And those heads, which those engines framed, erected are on hic.  
Exploded from the sight of heaven, and loathed of earthly eye.   

Therefore to heaven's jehovah yield, all uniformall praise:  
Laudate sing with joint assent, his powerful glory raise.   

Who hath preserved our lives, traduced, to direful Harpies claws:  
Exhaled us from the chaps of hell. and death's devouring jaws.   

Thou great composer of earth's frame, with Cherubs guard our King:  
And shrowded him from conspiracies, with thy all-covering wing.   

Protect him from all foreign force, from homebred broils and jars:  
And let the number of his days, surmount the countless Stars.   

With courage sympathize his power, corroborate his arms:  
Prescribe the means t'infatuate Rome's minacing alarms.   

Inspire the hearts of Christian Kings, t'vnite their force in one:  
And drag that triple-crowned Beast, from out his monstrous rhrone.   

Europe can near heavens Requiem sing, with peaceful amity:  
Till these bloud-bathed Romish Wolves, quite extirpated be.   

Then let each Christian subjugate, discute the papal yoke:  
And with a heau'n-bred high resolve, blind heresies revoke.   

Vlisses-like t'heau'ns' Mast adhere, when Popish Sirens sing:  
Confide not in Rome's Crocodiles, who weeping, wound and sting.   

Let's serve one God, one Gospel preach, one faith profess each one:  
That we may shine like glorious Stars, fore his majestic throne.   

That at the great and general Doom, when Mortals rise from dust:  
We all may reap immortal Crowns, reserved for the just.   
FINIS.